A Flower Between the Pages
by Five seas
Summary: Something went awfully wrong. When Sora Naegino told her friend's cold boyfriend off, she never expected him to suddenly become painfully aware of her. Will her loyalty for May win or will she open up to the feelings that bloom for the handsome painter?
1. Awaken

**I don't own Kaleido Star-Just a crazy muse with a knack for romance.**

**Ok, so I'm probably asking for trouble starting another KS fic, but I just can't help it. I love the idea of making Sora mad and I wanted to distance her a little from the Stage so that I could explore her character without having to think about how to make it plausable. Make no mistake, I'll update No Happily Ever Afters and La Derniére Nuit, but I'm at my muse's mercy and she's being quite merciless. I just came up with this idea yesterday and I HAD to write it.**

**Hope you enjoy anyway.**

* * *

**Awaken**

A storm was coming up. She knew it before she even looked up-her sensitive nose had picked up the subtle smell of rain in the air and soon, her eyes confirmed the assessment. Heavy clouds were coming up from the East, threatening to collapse any minute over the sleeping town.

Sora scowled as she sped her pace to go ahead of the storm and return home before it hit. It hadn't rained for a few days and she could already tell that it would be very, very bad if she ended up in the middle of the disaster that was to come down on them. Mercifully, the library where she had been doing her research wasn't too far from the house where she was staying. She let out a small prayer and tucked her books under her arm protectively as she all but broke out into a run-she really hated getting wet. Mme Pinot, the head of the dance and choreography department, got very annoyed when her students got sick and missed class, and Sora wasn't proud to say that she wasn't one of her most favorite students.

But then again, who was? The woman even made Anna cry, which meant a lot since she was training to be a comedian. Sora had experienced a great shock upon arriving here from Japan to find that people rarely responded to her smiles and kind attitude and didn't fall in love with her (as a student, mind), but she was resolved to make the most of it and not make them bring her down.

The door closed with a clack behind her and she allowed herself a breath of relief-home dry and with time to spare. "Anyone home?"

"Sora, over here!" Mia called from the living room. With a smile on her face, the petite redhead quickly simmered out of her shoes and coat and made her way through the entrance hall.

Like many times before, Sora thought that she had gotten terribly, terribly lucky. In fact, so much good fortune was bound to pay off in some way. Her karma wouldn't take it. But with the situation being so good, she didn't dwell on the fact for too long. She had managed to get accepted into one of the best dance programs offered in Oxford, Britain, gotten a full scholarship and found great friends on the very first year of her study. Sure, there had been times when she had been compelled to just pack up and leave, but now, as she quickly entered her last year of study, she was glad she hadn't given into the temptation and resolved herself to keep facing the challenges the life gave her.

The spacious living room was well furnished with old cupboards and new sofas, courtesy to their landowner who'd trust her old things with her new tenants. The said cupboards had come in handy to Layla and Mia, as the two did more reading than anyone, and were overflowing with books, magazines, old papers, you name it. Sora even found use for them from time to time, although most of her work was done in the library and the practice room.

Her friends were truly amazing-Anna, the comedian-in-training that she had met during an acting class, never let a glum or bored mood settle in the house. Mia, the English Major who wanted to become a play writer, contaminated them with her energy and optimism. And of course, Layla Hamilton, heiress to the vast Hamilton fortune, who for some reason wanted to major in Philosophy, who always provided some good advice for her friends. Even May, who could be downright obnoxious at times, fell under her charm.

Actually, Layla wasn't much older than any of them, but it was very easy to forget that around her. She was the epitome of a Goddess-classic beauty with blond hair and blue eyes, five feet and something tall, statuesque and perfect in every way, she could do anything in the world for a living AND be successful. She had already finished her education in an accelerated study college and had received the proper training to take over the Hamilton empire, but her father didn't have any occupations for her yet, so she decided to take up some sort of study while she waited. Her emotional maturity and her astronomical experience put her light years ahead of the four other girls she shared a house with.

"How did your research go?" Layla asked when Sora plopped down on the sofa next to her and carefully put down her notes on the table.

"Well." The girl smiled widely, feeling slightly embarrassed as every single time when she spoke to her. It was as if she'd never get used to this "I'm just glad that I made it before it started to rain."

"Mhmm." Anna nodded, looking out "It looks out like it'll be a bad one. Luckily, none of us have lectures."

Sora smiled inwardly, already tasting the wonderful day it would be-whenever they were all in the house, it would be fun. They'd play board games, cook, tidy up, and maybe Mia would read to them her latest project. Not exactly what you'd think women did in their early twenties, but it was fun. Almost…homely. And since they'd more or less come from different ends of the world, homesickness was something that they experienced very regularly.

"Will May be able to make it before the rain hits?" Sora wondered out loud, looking towards the front porch for any signs of the dark-haired beauty.

"She called a while ago-Leon will pick her up from rehearsal and bring her home." Mia paused "She told me a billion times when they would arrive, even double checked that I got the hour right."

"She probably wanted to give you a gentle hint to get everyone out of the house for them." Anna snorted, and Sora immediately felt her cheeks heat.

Out of the five of them, May was the only one with a boyfriend. Layla did have somebody she met with on regular basis, but she'd never brought him home, nor did she go out on what could be described as dates with him. Once, Sora had asked her why didn't they try and have fun the way others did-Layla had simply shrugged and said that what they had wasn't what others had and that they didn't feel any need to advertise it.

Completely opposite to her, May had made it a point that she and Leon were together_ together_ and didn't miss a chance to show him off. And as Cupid himself had been on her side, May had managed to nail an absolutely gorgeous man, an arts major from the Ruskin School of Fine Art. Leon Oswald was known not only for his rather cold attitude, but also for making spectacular paintings. At twenty-four, he'd managed to have at least three gallery showings of his own and he received commissions on a daily basis. _At least _that was what May said, whenever she was with him or alone with her friends. At the memory of her friend's constant bragging, Sora scrunched her face with slight annoyance. Of course, she should be happy for being with a guy who was obviously gorgeous, but did she honestly need to be so…loud about it? Sora had already exceeded her quota of embarrassing moments, having walked in on the two of them more than once in a very uncomfortable position.

Leon himself hadn't left much of an impression on her. Which should've meant that he didn't leave a bad nor a good impression, which made him neutral, but his cold detachment and facades only made him seem worse than he was. Sora couldn't understand how could a man, caught up in the troves of passion with his girlfriend to simply look through the one interrupting without even showing the least bit of embarrassment. Moreover, how could he simply walk out when he was finished, without even bidding goodbye or noticing the rest of the people in the house? For the two months he'd been introduced to them, he'd barely spoken more than five words in total and he'd never acknowledged any of them, should they have met in the supermarket or in the streets.

He was cold, he was arrogant, and he probably didn't know she existed. Hell, he probably didn't care if May existed either, until they started going at it.

Sora slapped herself mentally and rose to her feet to get some tea warming up. This wasn't somewhere she liked to go. Her friend's life was nobody's to judge, and if May was happy with him, then Sora was the last person to question her boyfriend's integrity. Cultural relativism makes the world go around.

* * *

Just as the kettle was beginning to boil, the front door opened and two sets of footfalls resonated through the house. The playful chatter from the hallway lulled to a stop and Sora maneuvered out of the kitchen with a tray full of tea to take a look at the couple. May seemed mildly annoyed to find the house full, but given the thunder and lightening that were resonating outside, it was difficult to believe that she could be really angry with them.

Leon looked…indifferent and slightly innerved. Of course. Not that Sora would openly admit to that, but she did like to steal glances at him….she guessed everyone did. He was a sort of a male equivalent of Layla-tall, with broad shoulders and strong arms, sharp features, all crowned with pale violet eyes and a mane of white hair.

Squirming, she set the tray down and asked if they wanted anything.

"No, we don't." May huffed "Leon and I will go up to my room now. Don't interrupt us unless it's very urgent." After that, she all but dragged him up the staircase. Nobody dared move or speak until they heard the door clack loudly.

"One of these days…" Mia huffed, reaching for her cup "I really like May, but if she keeps this up, I'm afraid that one day I'll end up kicking her ass."

"She'll become much chattier when they finish." Anna grinned, causing both Mia and Sora to choke on their drinks. _Oh, gods_, Sora thought, _there we go again, out of the comfort zone. TMI, Anna, TMI!_

Unfortunately, Anna chose to ignore her inner pleas and continued: "Say what you want, Mia, but May gets much more cooperative once she and Leon do it. You can't deny it's a great advantage when she's obnoxious half the time."

"He's an asshole." The ginger-haired girl retorted "I don't care what you say, Anna, no mater what he does to improve May's attitude, he's doing more harm than good."

Well, there was that point too…she attempted to busy herself with arranging her notes, but her ears kept following the conversation and her mind kept analyzing it. Dating Leon hadn't exactly done wonders for the character of May Wong, it just made her less gritty at certain periods of time. She blushed. Surely discussing the love life of one of your friends while she was getting down on her boyfriend upstairs wasn't healthy.

"You know, all's well that ends well, but in May's case I have the nagging impression that things will end badly." Mia said "Leon doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would let a woman drag him around by the nose and you know how May tends to get over her head sometimes."

"Are you afraid that she'll want him to commit to her when he doesn't want to?" Sora asked, unable to keep her mouth shut this time "May wouldn't get that presumptuous, Mia."

"That may be true now, but later she might want to get serious." Layla replied as she set Foucault's "The Order of Things" down and looked at her roommates "Women are naturally programmed to want a family and children while they could biologically be able to do so. If Leon doesn't want that, she might end up very, very hurt."

"Yeah." Anna said "Though I wouldn't want Leon to get a family, ever. Just think how those poor children will do with a father like that. And I can say for certain that he'll be absent on all important occasions. Hell, he'll be absent on the non-important ones too."

"Don't you guys think that we should change the subject?" Sora asked, this time out loud "They ARE upstairs, you know."

"Oh, please. They're probably so busy they wouldn't care if a bomb hit the house."

"Still, do you think he'd appreciate it if he found out we'd been imagining their white picket fence and 2.5 children while they're…" She gestured towards the stairs. The girls burst out laughing, and Sora let out a tiny chuckle to go with it, but then something worried her. When their voices settled down and they picked up their cups again, she realized that nothing was coming from the second floor…Well, nothing that would indicate there was…amorous activity going on. Not a big surprise, since May's room was at the end of the hall, far away from the stairs, but it wasn't like they wouldn't know. Could it be that they were just talking?

Well, of course they were. Honestly, the thoughts that went through her head nowadays! Layla would argue that one might be surprised at the assumptions one might have made unconsciously, and that also these assumptions steamed from our most repressed desires.

"YOU WHAT?!" May's suddenly roared and all four women looked towards the end of the stairs. There was some shuffling and a second later a furious May stormed down the stairs, fully clothed and flustered "THAT IS IT, LEON OSWALD! WE'RE THROUGH!" she yelled up the staircase "DON'T YOU EVER SHOW YOUR FACE HERE AGAIN! DON'T CALL ME, DON'T WRITE, OR ELSE I'LL GET A RESTRAINING ORDER AND THEN YOU'LL SEE!"

"May…." Sora began, but the raven-haired woman just stormed out in the kitchen, threw open the back door and took off. The other four women stared at each other, before Layla and Anna went after May lest she did something stupid. The two redheads that were left stared at each other, clearly confused, before they heard much, much softer footsteps from the top of the stairs and turned around to face a rather calm looking Leon.

"She took off…" Mia said, gesturing towards the back door. The silver-haired man stopped in mid pace and eyed the two girls as if it was the first time he'd seen them. Actually, Sora thought, he looked slightly astonished that Mia had spoken…as if she didn't have the right to tell him that his now ex-girlfriend was out in the storm.

"I supposed she would." He replied, nodding his head "Goodbye."

Sora's jaw dropped. Alright, so she hadn't quite expected that he ran outside, gather May in his arms and apologize for whatever he did, but god damn, couldn't he at least show a little emotion?

She could hear Mia gasp at his audacity, but her friend's reaction couldn't rival what happened next. Before either of them knew it, Sora was up on her feet and sprinting out of the door, barely remembering to put on her jacket as she tried to catch up on Leon. The latter was standing my his car, shuffling for his keys while he held his hand above his head in an attempt to stay dry. _As if that would work_, Sora thought as she came to a screeching halt behind him.

He turned halfway to look down his nose at her, clearly preparing some snide remark for whatever plaint she could've attempted to make. However, _she_ was too far down the road to actually be polite, because before he could open his mouth, her hand had lashed out and slapped him across the face.

The feeling of her palm coming quickly in contact with his cheek was quite strong and nearly sent her falling on the ground. She caught herself before she made a fool out of herself, and, though having snapped out of the bull-sees-red rage, she wasn't quite done with him yet. "You've got some nerve to walk out on this!" Leon was staring at her, eyes wide with surprise and…something more, which she didn't have time to interpret now. Her own voice was low, and a hell of a lot more menacing than it had ever been. "I don't know what you and May were doing, and I sure as ever don't want to know what you told her to make her so angry, but to walk out so calmly, you sure as hell are arrogant!"

"Now wait just a minute…" he began, but she cut him off

"No, you wait just a minute!" cultural relativism be damned "You might have some sort of rule in France to act all high and mighty, but don't you dare treat May as if she's expandable!"

"Unless you haven't noticed yourself, woman, she just broke up with me. She would hardly want to see me." Leon growled, staring at her angrily

"I'm not deaf and I'm not daft! Do you think we haven't seen how you were using her all this time? And you just walk away without so much as a goodbye!" she took a ragged breath to maintain a semblance of composure. "I'm glad that at least it's over before you put her through more pain!"

He laughed coldly at her. "If you really think that, then you truly are stupid."

"Better stupid than humiliated by you." She hissed, before turning away from a very baffled Leon and slamming the door in his face.

* * *

**A/N-Oh, my, what did cause Sora to be so OOC? And what the hell's with Leon? Find out in the next chapter! ;)**


	2. The Swing

**

* * *

**

The Swing

Sora went back home to a shower and a healthy dose of aspirin. Since everyone besides Mia had been out in the scathing rain, the girls quickly sat down for an emergency bowl of chicken soup and hot tea. _Nobody_ wanted to get sick, and now that May was obviously safe and sane with them, Anna and Layla were probably regretting going after her. The dark-haired beauty was quite wild in her mood swings, but her temper-tantrums never lasted long, and once they were over, she was docile. Why would they ever worry?

In contrast, Mia hadn't even registered that Sora went after Leon until the red-head came back, soaking wet. The surprise hadn't been able to rival the shock that May gave them, but still it was quite an event when mousy Sora actually decided to give someone a piece of her mind. And, quite frankly, even Layla hadn't been able to tell Leon Oswald off. Mia almost gushed all over the floor when her friend told her what that she practically told Leon, cold bastard Leon, to just fuck off.

Of course, the little victory was overlooked when May came back, and everyone had to usher to her side, but Sora was fine with that. Actually, she herself wasn't sure what had just happened, let alone felt a need to celebrate it. _Did I really say those things?_ She thought. _And to Leon Oswald no less…_

Sure, she was quiet. It was rare, actually, that she ever raised her voice, and her fellow students often remarked that it showed for a lack of courage. _That's why she'll never be a prima donna_, the girls from the ballet class said. _She won't be able to boss people around when the time comes for her to defend her opinion._ A harsh verdict, yet Sora was aware that they were fully entitled to say so. She wasn't like those temperamental goddesses that ruled the stage, and yet she hoped to be one of them someday…it was a silly dream. Maybe Mia was right, she should be celebrating today. It would give her hope for the future.

However, she never really thought she'd snap like that. Usually, she had something bottling up for a long time before the tension finally broke, but in this case, it didn't make sense. Leon wasn't…hadn't been her boyfriend and he'd barely acknowledged her (unless, of course, May didn't hang that toe shoe on her door and Sora walked in on them while looking to retrieve her stuff from her roommate-then he'd just ignore her). She'd been shocked, to say the least, at the aggravation that had been piling up.

May didn't tell her friends what Leon had said or done or said that he'd done to make her break up with him, which, of course, was an invitation to make suggestions.

"Did he cheat on you?" Mia asked sternly, being very big on the subject of adultery ever since she caught her last boyfriend red-handed.

"I wish." May rolled her eyes, but that was where this was left off.

"Did he say he has some sort of medical condition?"

"No."

"Did he give you the 'it's not you, it's me' speech?"

"No!"

"Did he say that he was in love with someone else?" Sora asked before her brain could censure her. Dear God!

"NO!" May roared and stood up "Stop asking me already, I told you it's none of your business."

With that, she just stormed up the stairs, leaving her friends totally and wholly unsettled.

* * *

From that day on, things just went downhill.

May studied drama in Oxford Brookes University, and her major required a lot of _getting in touch with one's emotions_. She apparently decided that she had to take that advice to a whole different level and went into a near-constant state of anger/sadness combo. Anna said it was quite a successful strategy, but after a week of that nonstop behavior even she was starting to ignore their friend. On occasion, they would ask her what happened and she would always refuse to talk about it, making them think it was either too horrible for words…or that May was exaggerating things. Sora had to admit that the latter was still a possibility, but...May had put a lot of effort into catching Leon, and she'd looked pretty smitten with him. It didn't seem like a simple caprice was enough to turn her off him.

The redhead herself had gotten over the guilt about her own little temperamental episode with the cold painter. May was swinging between angry temper tantrums and quiet periods of melancholy when she would stroll around the house eating chocolate as if it was the only thing in the world left to supplement her. Seeing her so heartbroken had quickly cured Sora from any remorse she might have been feeling. Thoughts that she might have been to harsh were quickly extinguished and she was more than ready to celebrate her fire finally going up to the surface.

Actually, the only times she got marginally worried was when she would run into Leon somewhere around the city…

Marginally….a full blown panic attack might have described it better. The first time she'd spotted him was while she was riding a bus to school and somehow his car was right next to it in traffic. She'd been so mortified that he might turn his head and see her that her hair probably turned white. The relief that came over her when he took a turn and drove far away from the bus's trajectory had been so great that she nearly collapsed on the floor.

From then, whenever she saw even a hint of a tall stature and silver hair, she'd become nervous and worried. And the thought that he might actually come and talk to her was so terrifying that it made her wish she was invisible again. Alas, such a thing was impossible-even if their eyes met in a crowded supermarket or in the quiet solitude in the library, his usually unreadable gaze showed recognition.

Sora ignored the fear that crawled into her body whenever she came out and instead focused on work. Or, better yet, on the comments her friends lanced against Leon whenever May was out of earshot. Once her stupefaction at her own display of passion, she wasn't too surprised that her friends were just as vehement about Leon as she had been.

"I should've known he was no good…" Mia said "I'd never trusted a man whose hair is longer than mine."

"I should've guessed…" Anna said "He never smiled. What man does that?"

"I suppose that he was never too eager to hide his true colors." Layla said, which was more cryptic than explicatory. Yet Sora knew that she didn't like him much.

* * *

October rolled over the corner and May started livening up, slightly, preparing her lessons and learning roles. She had plans for a Halloween party, although most people also had been sending invitations. Sora was just glad that she had something to keep her mind occupied. Actually, her friends were all looking forward to going to the parade in Milton Keyns, and it gave Mia a chance to dress them all up like she wanted.

Which was why, inconsequentially, Sora found herself wandering through the library on the fine Saturday afternoon of the first week of October. Mia wanted to make historical-theme costumes and Sora had ended up doing the research for her. The red-head wasn't complaining though-the library was calm on weekends and usually she got the whole reading room for herself. Let's see…

Mia had given her a list of books she had to check out and some instructions about the pictures she needed to photocopy. Well…better start now than never…it really was long.

As she sat down on one of the terminals near the librarian's desk, Sora, again, felt the familiar prickle on the back of her neck that told her she was being watched, but, of course, when she turned around there was nobody in sight. Shaking her head, she returned to the terminal and typed the first thing on Mia's list in the search engine: "The Swing, Fragonard."

* * *

Two hours and a sore neck later, Sora was beginning to get annoyed. If Mia hadn't decided to be a writer, a fashion designer would've been her next career choice, certainly. The notebook she'd given her was now almost filled with notes and clumsy sketches, and she still hadn't gotten up to find the books the library did have on the clothes Mia wanted to make. She all but sang happily when the list was over and she stood up, notebook in one hand, directions for the books in the other, fully panning on getting them, checking them out and then going back home for a nap…and probably some ice cream. Her legs protested slightly and she frowned when she tried stretching her weary muscles. Well so much for being a trained dancer, she thought wearily as she tried working out the tense knots.

Slowly, she started making her way through the library. The first two books she needed were quick to go by, but the other two were art albums that the librarians kept in stock at the far corner of the building, close to dissertations and Superior Court Rulings…Fun stuff.

Though it was probably the most well-stocked library in the city, there sure were a lot of things that needed work, Sora thought. The current economical crisis had caused the shortening of staff and the librarians were more than reluctant to leave their posts to help students find things. She wasn't really worried about that-she had a good sense of direction and she was always focused, but the fact that the section where she was heading out to was so secluded slightly…worried her. She didn't like the idea that she was too far for anyone to pass by and if she screamed, the silence that reigned in the library didn't seem reassuring, but more…frightening. She had the silly notion that it would swallow up her scream.

Haunted Castles be damned-set up Halloween in an empty library and people's hairs will be white until the end of the night.

And talk about white hair…she froze, but then braced herself. She needed to get a hold of herself-it was almost two months, she didn't have to be afraid of him. He must have another woman to keep his libido happy, right. If he actually remembered her name, it would be a feat itself!

"Sora?" oh, shit! He was staring at her, equal parts of surprise and astonishment mixed in his pale eyes. She braced herself and walked past his leaning form, her eyes scanning the shelves frantically. One of the albums was close by and she pulled it away, before turning her eyes towards the higher shelf where the other book stood. Crouching down slightly, she jumped in an attempt to get it, cursing her tiny form for the umpteenth time for its impracticality. Hearing a chuckle behind her, she reeled around to glare at Leon, too pissed to be mortified.

"What?"

"You seem so…worked up." He chuckled, thoughtfully amused

"Not all of us are born tall…" her eyes narrowed on the title of the book he was reading "…or immodest."

He glanced down and quickly snapped it closed. "You're not studying art. Why would you need a…Full Collection of French Rococo?" Sora ignored him and made another jump. Leon watched her efforts for a while, eyebrow quirked. She looked almost like she would start growling like an annoyed puppy.

Sora made another jump and reached up, but…once more, she couldn't reach. She was about to send it all to hell and go away, when she felt another body nearly press to hers as Leon all but squashed her against the shelves. She opened her mouth to protest, but her breath was suddenly cut short. And how could a human creature actually be so _hard_?! He felt like he'd been carved out of stone.

"Is this what you were trying to get?" he whispered in her ear as he lowered 'Art of Greece' from the shelf. Sora, unable to find her voice, just nodded. He dropped the book in her hands and stepped away from her, and for a split second she actually felt annoyed. It was almost like they were back to how they were a few weeks ago-he was getting his jollies with May and she was pinning after him. Then her cheeks flamed up again, this time with anger. How dare he?! How dare he actually make her feel so frustrated when she'd been the one to tell him off!

She turned around and narrowed her eyes at him, before throwing her hair over her shoulder and marching past him, past the nook and hopefully out of that creepy library. However, before she even got out of the nook and walked out, his hand shot out and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her back into the nook before she could get out on the main alley.

Sora opened her mouth to scream, but Leon quickly shushed her up, placing his palm in front of her face, not clamping her mouth and nose completely, but seizing any rant that she was planning on starting. Just as she was considering biting him, she heard the voices.

* * *

**A/N-Happy Halloween, you guys!**

**Review and this fic turns M!**


	3. Real Sugar

**I'm a girl of my word, though I'm not sure if this is what you expected. Chapter three, everyone, and thanks for the reviews.**

**Theme song: Real Sugar by Roxette**

Sora froze when she heard the noise. It sounded faintly like footsteps, but she daren't hope. And then she head the voices, and her heart leapt in her throat. There were people in this section, and they were coming their way. Exhilarated, she tried struggling against Leon again, hoping to get out of his hands enough to manage to call for help. However, his only response to that was to bring her closer, glaring down on her and tightening his grip threateningly. She looked at him defiantly, taking large breaths through her nose, but just as she was planning on biting and running, she heard someone laugh.

And while she pretty much enjoyed seeing people smile and laugh and all that, that sound was shrill and pointed, made by someone well aware that people seldom passed through this section and who was planning on making full use of it.

Once the realization dawned on her, her squirming stopped immediately and she became as still as a statue. As the voices approached, Leon carefully removed his hand from her mouth and gave her another warning look, not letting her elbow go. Sora took a tiny, calming breath as the voices finally became distinguishable. "Come on, this place is perfect…" a woman whispered as she pulled someone in the nook next to theirs. "Come on, big guy, time for some extracurricular activities."

_Jeez, could someone really get any lamer?_ Sora thought, rolling her eyes before the full meaning of the woman's words came crashing down. They weren't going to…they wouldn't dare! Right? One glance at Leon and he wordlessly replied: _"Oh, yes they will."_

As if fate had set up this bad case scenario (bad? Horrible would be better!), the books they had taken out provided two perfect little gaps in the rows of books so that both had an excellent eye-level peeping holes in the other nook. Sora could see the two paw at each other, not really bothering with details, and the guy quickly perched her on the reading table. His hands slid under her top, pushing it higher and higher, much like the foreplay that Sora had seen in the movies. However, unlike in the films, where the camera would shy away before anything was exposed, the scene before her continued just like it would in any real circumstances-the fabric pushed up to reveal a black bra which was quickly pushed away.

Sora closed her eyes, feeling her skin prickle again. Unlike a move theatre, too, she couldn't hide her blush in the darkness. The library was well lit and that not only allowed her to see everything that happened not three feet away from her, but it also provided Leon with an excellent view of her blushing face. If she hadn't lit up like a light bulb by now…

"Aren't you going to do something?" she finally whispered, thinking acidly that even if the couple on the other side heard, they wouldn't be fazed.

"What good will that do?" he asked, his voice slightly amused, as if he'd just read her thoughts. "Think of it as an…exercise in interaction."

She snuck a peek at him and, sure enough, the smug bastard was looking at her with the corner of his eye. His expression was set in stone, but his ever-treacherous eyes gave out a challenging flare. Damn it, if this wasn't too embarrassing to be true, she would've thought he arranged for it. She'd hit him and now Leon was having his revenge with her-showing her something she'd stumbled across several times, make her wait until the end and see when she would break.

Actually, it sounded very much like something Leon might do, Sora thought suddenly, and since she was getting fed up with this whole situation, she gave him a defying, go-fuck-yourself-Oswald look before letting her eyes go back on the scene. Ugh!

This is just sex, she reminded herself, people do it all the time. Feeling embarrassed about this was like feeling embarrassed about breathing. Although that was rather difficult at the moment. She shook herself-she'd get through this, wait for the right time, get out of here, and if she still stood on her own too legs, she would tell him to fuck off…again.

It didn't help that their breathing seemed to have synchronized somewhere during the little display they were witnessing, and the hand on her elbow was contracting in a rhythm painfully similar to the one the other two were starting to establish. Sora looked at him, and seeing that in spite of his body betraying him, his mask remained unchanged, she couldn't help the amusement that bubbled on her lips. Her chuckle made Leon turn to look at her and…and…her heart must've exploded just then, because his eyes were insane-dark, scary, smoldering…it was terrifying how he suddenly cut off all the laughter that was bubbling into her and she wasn't unaware of that.

The woman moaned loudly and he turned away from her. Sora, instinctively copied his movement, only to find that the girl had taken her discarded jacket and biting at the sleeve for dear life as the guy had gotten down on his knees to service her. Oh, Christ! Don't blush, don't blush…too late. The red-hot wave even spilled lower on her body, through her torso down to the tips of her fingers. The sudden change of temperature didn't go unnoticed because Leon almost automatically turned around to look at her. "Enjoy the show?" he asked, moving his hand from her elbow and to her wrist.

"And you don't?" she asked sarcastically. This was the guy whom she'd caught reading "A review of European Erotica" in the most secluded sections in the library. He probably came here on regular basis in the hopes to get a free peep show.

"I would say it's entertaining, though hardly something I'd like to devote my time to."

"Ha-ha." She chuckled dryly just as the couple gave up on the foreplay and got down to the actual business. Sora made a face.

"Not really intimidated, are you?"

"I think you should know, it takes a lot more than that to intimidate me." She replied, looking at him in the eye. That seemed to shut him up, because he focused on the little spectacle in front of them, and, when the guy grunted in climax, Leon quickly gathered their books and dragged her out towards the exit with a speed she didn't register the movement until they were checking their materials out.

* * *

The sunlight never felt better. Sora practically ran out into it and shivered deliciously, both with relief of being out of that quiet library and getting some distance between her and Leon. However, he seemed to sense perfectly when she didn't want to look at him, because he appeared close to her, still smiling like a sphinx. Well…a sadistic sphinx anyway.

Whatever, she didn't want to be around him. She made to walk away, but his hand, as if was dragged to her wrist like with a magnet, seized her and held her in place. Sora whirled around and opened her mouth, ready to lance a rant: "Leon Oswald, you have ten seconds to let go of me before you need an ambulance to get out of here!" Alright, so that wasn't a hundred percent true-he could catch her in mid kick, but she was a trained dancer-she could kick like a mule and sure as hell do a lot of serious damage.

"Promise not to run?" he asked, before letting go. Sora's first instinct was to immediately take off, but when she saw him, she knew that running now would be pointless. _Face him_, she thought, _just face him and show him that it wasn't a one-time burst of courage that left him with a red cheek._

"What do you want?" she turned towards him, her hands on her hips in a menacing gesture

"I want you to model for me." He replied

_**What?**_

* * *

Sora was sitting on the grass in the park, her breathing restored and her senses in a relative tranquility. Though this whole day had been weird, if she could say so herself. Meeting Leon, seeing what she saw, and him asking her to be his model. It was insane! Insane!

"Here." Leon handed her a small cup of coffee before sitting down on a bench. Figures-he couldn't like to get grass stains on his vintage jeans, she thought sourly as she took a greedy sip from it. The liquid was hot, scorching, and bitter, but it was what she needed to wake up from this nightmare. "There isn't any cream and sugar in it, since I didn't know how you liked it." Nope, still dreaming…need to wake up…no such luck.

"I like it that way." She lied "What games are you playing, Leon-san?"

"Well, that's an improvement from Oswald." He snorted "And I believe I was clear enough. I want you to model for me. It's not much difficult to comprehend."

Oh, now he was calling her an idiot? She glared at him again. "You do realize you are talking nonsense. If this is a joke, then it's a very bad one."

"Do you honestly think I'd be wasting my time to talk to you if I wasn't serious?" he asked flatly "I fully intend what I asked you."

"Well, you don't need my permission to draw me, right?" she asked evenly

"By law, I don't. Nobody should be surveyed or recorded in any way without their full consent. I'm afraid that I need you to sign some paperwork before I draw you. And I'll give you a check, every month, like I'm supposed to. This is a job like any other."

Sora eyed him wearily, before turning her back to him. "No."

"You won't have to do anything." She could hear Leon raise his eyebrows "Just show up at the park and read on a bench for a couple of hours. You won't even know I'm there."

Like hell she won't. Sora had been fully aware of him, even when he hadn't known, or cared for, her existence. What would she do if she knew he was around, and, moreover, that he would be observing her carefully? It wasn't a conversation she wanted to start, and Leon was bound to have some ulterior motive. Probably to find a way to punish her more for punching his pretty face.

Sora wasn't stupid or naïve-the guy could ask any girl on the street to be his model…hell, he could probably get a heard go after him, begging him to draw them. He didn't need to be sitting here, convincing her to do it. This was about payback….moreover, Sora couldn't help but think he was looking for a way to get back at May for…for…Gah, did he even need a reason? The guy looked like someone to whom the day was lost without planning a sort of devious plot. Maybe he was just pissed_ she_ broke up with _him_ and that her friend hit him afterwards…

She wasn't sure how his mind operated, and frankly, she didn't care much either. But she did know that if her friends learned about this, they would be terribly disappointed in her. Mia and Anna would constantly tell her how bad, how dangerous it was to be around Leon, Layla would say that it wasn't nice to have double standards and May would be heartbroken. And Leon knew she would be heartbroken, right? He DID somehow know the perfect time to get out of that library, so he was probably a psychic or something. It wouldn't be surprising. Hell, he probably threw one glance at her and read her out-he knew that she was doomed to fall for him like a stupid little puppy and that she was perfect little toy.

Well, she wasn't. And she wasn't going to let him push her around either.

"I refuse, Leon-san." She said, standing up "Thank you for the coffee."

His eyes narrowed. "I don't understand why you refuse me. Were you not the one complaining three months ago that you didn't have enough cash for anything other than rent and new toe shoes?"

"I really see no reason to explain _anything_ to you." Sora looked down at him with disdain. It was bad enough he thought she was pathetic, now he thought that she would sell herself too? Oh, it made perfect sense, right? Everyone, after all, had a _price_. "But let me make one thing clear to you-even if I did need money, I would've still turned you down, because I'd honestly prefer to starve than to accept any of your pity offerings."

His eyes darkened and she swore that if he was capable of that, his face would've fallen. "It's not pity offerings. I'm proposing you a well-paid and fully respectable job." She rolled her eyes and snorted "I am quite serious, Sora. You need to sign some papers and come read in the park. That's all. The girl in the painting wouldn't even look like you. Nobody needs to know." Oh, God…she closed her eyes and took a deep breath…that last line sounded a lot more like an invitation than a reassurance.

"You're disgusting." She finally spat out "You would know. I would know. And I don't like the idea of it one bit."

"Why? I'm not asking you to pose naked…" he shut his mouth and frowned.

"You know why." Sora whispered, adjusting her bag on her shoulder "I can't do it. You should know." She turned on her heel to walk away, when Leon's fingers closed around her wrist. _Again._

"You are truly stubborn and unreasonable." He said "I'm here every day. Come back when you change your mind."

It was positively infatuating…And he was impossibly infatuating. Honestly, how was she to react? How was she even to talk with him while keeping a straight face, when every word that came out of his mouth sounded like a come hither. _The guy literally told you he wanted to use you and you're still after his pants…that's got to be a new low. _

* * *

Sora returned to find Layla alone in the house, lodging on the couch with her books. It was incredible that someone so beautiful, so accomplished too, could slip into the roles of a friend or a bookworm or…

"Sora, what happened?" …a psychiatrist who needed one look at a person to know something's wrong with them. Oops.

Well, it wasn't like anything bad happened, and it would help her to get this out of her system. Sora wasn't one to let people's opinions distract her, but it was still good when someone told you that you did the right thing. So she sat down with Layla and told her everything…blushing and sputtering through their conversation in the library with the overly exuberant couple in the background. The blonde, to her credit, didn't laugh or look annoyed at any point, just listened patiently, chewing on her lips from time to time.

Finally, Sora was silent. Layla studied her for a while, and the redhead wondered idly if she saw through all the indignation and anger and saw that she, shamefully, deep inside, wanted to take Leon up on his offer.

"Layla-san, why are you so quiet?" she finally asked "Or are you angry at him for being so full of himself too?"

"Actually, Sora, he had a point there." The girl nearly keeled over in shock.

"Layla-san?"

"Please don't make that face, Sora, it's unsightly." Layla tossed a golden strand over her shoulder "I merely wanted to point out that he wasn't mistaken when you said you needed money. You only do some translating and babysitting to earn cash-everything else is covered by your scholarship and your parents."

"My parents don't have to give me much…" she mumbled, staring at her hands "Just a little to get the edge off."

Layla sighed "Still, it's pretty Spartan, what we have here. It's not quite what most students have, but still it's not very impressive either. The truth is that Mia and May have to resort to asking their parents for money, and Anna works three jobs already, so that they could take the edge off. So, if you asked me, Leon wasn't being too full of himself, he was merely stating a fact."

"I know, but…he made it sound so offensive…like I was the type of person who has only money on her mind." Sora frowned

"Now that was bad." Layla said "But if I were you, I wouldn't be too quick to refuse him."

"Layla-san, I know that it would be better for me to accept and earn some easy money, but I can't do it. I certainly don't need to ask someone to cover my part of the rent just yet and with the spectacle coming up this winter I'm sure to make a little more. Besides…"

"Besides?"

"It feels wrong…to accept money from a man like that. He was really cold and cruel towards May and I can't help but think that this has something to do with her…with getting revenge on her." Sora lowered her eyes sadly "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Sora, we don't know him…" Layla began

"Exactly! Think of how bad he could be, when he acted like a demon around us!"

"Or he could be just reserved." The blonde intervened calmly "May rarely gave us a chance to study him up close, as her boyfriend and as a person, and he wasn't one for making small talk either-he could easily be pleasant company, but we might never know because they had their little fallout."

"But Layla-san, surely May…or Mia, or Anna, wouldn't be pleased with me talking to him…or working for him. May would surely get mad, and she might accuse me of…of…" could she bring herself to say it? Of stealing her boyfriend? But that was absurd. Even if Sora's little, and inexplicable case of puppy love for that man was a fact, he never, even back then, looked at her as if she was something more than a body taking up space…or a body worthy of being drawn. She flushed.

"Sora, are you worried because of his character or because of the way the girls would react to that?"

"Well…it's not like everyone doesn't hate Leon…"

"Yet you told me." Layla pointed out calmly "This is about their reaction when they learn, isn't it?"

"Well…it doesn't necessarily mean that they'd know." Leon's words echoed in her head again and she felt her body stiffen with a sudden need "I mean I don't even know what Anna does and she seems to be fine and…well, it shouldn't matter, but…I'd know. I'd know and every time they…we…start badmouthing him, I'd always know that in spite of what I said, I'm hypocritically working for him."

"Sora, we are all a little hypocritical." The blonde shook her head "I can state for a fact that if any one of them was in your position, they would feel the same and they would've taken it up, in the end. There is no need for you to feel embarrassed over it."

"Yeah, but I'm afraid that I might…I might…"

"Enjoy it more than you should?" Layla cocked her head on the side "You know, that's hardly something to be ashamed of. Leon is an attractive man. Besides, if you would keep your working for him a secret, why should you tell anyone of your feelings for him? Moreover, why should it matter? Did Leon not pretend we didn't exist before? He obviously has some pretty high standards about the people he associates himself with." Sora was silent, looking at her weakly "You know I'm not being mean here, Sora. I'm merely voicing the logic you've been following since May hooked up with him."

"I'm that obvious, aren't I?" she sighed, bringing her knees up and looking at Layla

"Not quite. But I could detect some disapproval. It's pretty easy to figure it out once you've been around them for long enough." Layla pouted "Sora, why did you apply to Oxford?"

"Huh?" the redhead blinked "Why did I apply here?"

"Yes. Knowing it's one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, knowing that you'd be far away from your world, your parents, your culture, knowing that you might fail and never fit in…why did you apply here, and not seek an immediate college prospectus in Japan? Surely it would've been better for your parents, right? Weren't you afraid that you were getting in over your head?"

"Well…I was. All that. But…" Sora blushed "When I actually looked into it, I thought that I actually had a shot at this. I thought that I might be able to do it. And it felt right to give it a try…I thought about Ikarus, who burned as he reached for the sun, and I thought that it was preferable to having the sea weigh me down. I knew it was a long shot, but if I didn't try I would regret it all my life, for not having done something for myself." Sora looked at Layla "What does this prove?"

"It proves that you're not a person to mouse away from challenges." Came the reply "It shows that you are not someone who would let people's opinion get the best of them. It means that you should accept Leon's proposition. And if that's not enough of a reason, your parents just had a baby, did they not?" Layla eyed Sora "For Yume's sake, don't you think you should try to do your best to help your parents out?"

The redhead gasped and pondered over those few words her best friend had uttered then for the remainder of the day and the following night. She thought about it every waking and sleeping moment, and the minutes in between, when she was tossing anxiously, trying to make sense of this day. The anxiety over May's reaction…everyone's reaction was fading in comparison to this new argument, her parents' and baby sister's wellbeing. Sora wondered if Layla had been saving that one for dessert, knowing that it would make the most impact on her. All the arguments in favor of her self-worth had quickly been discarded when a real, actually issue was pressed forward. Her friends might freak out, but Yume needed help, even if she was half a world away. Moreover, her parents wanted to be proud with her-if they knew she was doing well for herself, they would be that, and much, much calmer.

With this newfound conviction in her mind, Sora walked to the park the next day, and accepted Leon's offer, ignoring the whole time the little voice in the back of her head that told her she was selling her soul to the Devil.

* * *

**A/N-So, what shall I come up with to entice you into reviewing this time, hmm? How about this: Review and we'll get a little raging, jealous Leon in the next chapter.**

* * *

Real Sugar


	4. Kryptonite

**Kryptonite**

Sora read the document three times carefully, although it wasn't that much. However she looked at it, it was merely a permission for Leon to draw her. _Just like he said it would_, the rather annoying, devilish part of her brain accused. She shook the comment off-this wasn't the time for her to seek excuses to trust him. He was a devil. A manipulator. Even though the newborn part of her mind told her that it was technically Layla who pushed her into doing this, Sora knew that had it not been for his horrible behavior, they wouldn't be there.

The agreement had a clause concerning payment, but all she needed to know was whether receiving the money from him would somehow tie her up in something she didn't like. Seeing nothing of the sorts, she threw one last glance at Leon before she reached for the pen. "I'm not doing any nudes." She state curtly

"If you haven't noticed, this is a permission, not a contract of any sorts." He replied evenly "Meaning that I can do only as much as you allow me to. I won't do anything you don't agree with."

_See? _

Again, she slapped the offending thought away and signed quickly. "When do we start?"

* * *

Actually, it wasn't half bad…not as bad as she imagined it, anyway. She really did have to come to the park and fool around for a while so that he could sketch her. For a week it was exactly what her said it would be-she came with a book or with some homework, sat on some bench or on one of the swings, and in a couple of hours she would go home. She'd watch him with the corner of her eye, his unusual hair color always giving him away, as he sat in some distance from her, pencil and paper in his hands. Their eyes never met, and they never talked…there were actually a couple of days when Leon managed to draw her without even entering her line of vision.

And how did she know that he'd been there in the first place? Well, let's just say that on the day he _didn't_ show up, she didn't feel any nervous flutters or anxiety attacks when she came to the park.

At first she just thought he wasn't there yet, but try as she might, she didn't see any white hair, no matter how hard she looked. And, much as she hated to admit it, she looked a lot. Well, it was only for the best, she reasoned as she gathered her things up to leave, she got a day off and one occasion less to feel guilty in front of her friends for. She'd been wondering how long she would be able to maintain the façade for Mia, Anna, and May especially. Because, no matter what the Chinese actress said, she was still very shaken up by their break up.

What was worse, she still refused to tell them what had happened. They had all taken it well, at first. Hell, it was normal. After all the aftershocks settled down, it was always easier to talk about anything. But even after nearly two months, May still refused to talk to them about her break up with Leon, and, even worse, she still reacted with the same vehemence whenever he was mentioned. That could only mean he did something terrible or something unmentionable, and the things that May couldn't bring herself to say out loud were really, really few and not exactly savory.

"Sora Naegino?" someone called breathlessly and she turned around to find a man…or a boy, more like it, hurry to her and stop, huffing and puffing with exhaustion.

"Yes?" she asked, looking at him curiously. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack and that wasn't good-she didn't know any mouth-to-mouth techniques.

"I…I'm…ugh…hold on…" he coughed a few times and cleared his throat, before extending a hand "My name is Ken Robbins. Mr. Oswald sent me to take pictures of you."

"Huh?" she blinked, trying to distinguish the words "Leon wants pictures of me?"

"Yeah." Finally catching his breath, he ventured to look at her in the eyes and smiled shyly "He came over at the agency today, it seems like he couldn't make it for your appointment and since he doesn't want it to go to waste, he sent me to take some pictures of you."

"Oh, well…" she paused, processing the information "That's…nice I guess. Sorry for the trouble…" actually, she felt mildly annoyed that he seemed to have a way out of any situation whereas she couldn't send a replacement when she was sick or something…oh, well.

"No trouble." Ken was now fumbling with his bag, taking out a camera and adjusting the lens. Sora suddenly felt the nerves coming back. Was it just her or did that thing look like a professional camera? Probably, if he worked for an agency. Wow…just wow. She touched her hair nervously, wondering why had she chosen today of all days to come with her ballet net on her head. She'd decided that it would've been easier that way, but now she felt messy and ruggedy. The only time she had seen photographers take pictures of women with cameras like that was on fashion shows. What did she have to do? Did she have to strike a pose? She regretted not having taken Layla-san on her offer to buy her those heels-she wouldn't feel so damn tiny and they made her legs look damn good no matter what she wore.

Ken seemed to have felt her nervousness, because he asked her to go about things like she usually did. She sat down with her book, but the noise of the camera distracted her and she ended up looking at him. Soon, they were talking.

* * *

The day turned out rather well. When he decided that he'd taken enough pictures, they went to grab a bite to eat and continued their conversation in one of the cafes that practically littered the city. Ken was rather easy to talk to-kind, easygoing and calm, he was a far cry from the intimidating Leon. She was never on the edge around him, she felt perfectly safe. A little more and they could finish each other's sentences.

And she liked it, Sora thought with amazement. The ambience, the comfort…it made her feel completely and utterly relaxed. Gone was the edge from the last week and for once she felt perfectly calm about her job. Maybe, if Ken came to take pictures of her more often, it would eventually not matter that Leon was the one sketching her.

"Say, Ken, does Leon often not keep his engagements with his models?" she asked, hoping to get an answer for her last enquiry

"No, actually this is the first time he's asking me to do it outside of the scheduled appointment." He stated "I guess it's not some big deal, since sooner or later I would've had to photograph you, but he usually likes to keep third parties out of his business."

"Is that so?" she drawled

"Yeah. Painters usually bring their models to the studio and have their pictures taken, but sometimes they get photographers to go to some appointment or another for them, to spare time." Ken said, idling with his coffee "Sometimes sketches are not enough. Faces appear different when drawn and photographed, so it's best to have samples of both. And you become more familiar with the bone structure, which can help a lot with the actual painting." He droned on about some stuff that Sora couldn't understand, until he mentioned he'd found her because of a sketch Leon had left him, using it as an example how different faces look on paper than in real life.

Even though she shouldn't have, she did feel a pique of interest at this particular piece of information. Curious, she asked him if she could see it. Ken said something about painters and their obsessions, before presenting her with a folded sheet of notebook paper. She frowned as she studied it-in the first minute she couldn't recognize herself. Sure, that was her face, the features looking just like the ones she saw in the mirror every day, but it was completely devoid of emotions. Completely. It was so static that she wondered how was it even possible. Human faces always betrayed something, even Leon's said a little about him. He wasn't indifferent, more like…permanently pissed off.

Disappointed, she returned the picture to him. "I can see why you had a hard time finding me."

"Yeah." He nodded "Though usually in the end the paintings really look fantastic. Mr. Oswald is a fantastic artist, although his models are a little…different than you."

"As in?" now this was interesting. Different? How?

"Well…I don't mean that you don't stand a chance to any of them…but so far, he always used professional models. You've never done this before, right?" she shook her head "It's not rocket science, but it does require a degree of acting skills and accommodation with people's temperaments. Painters, especially, can be really touchy, and Mr. Oswald is…well…"

"I get it. Truth to be told, I don't understand why he wants to draw me either." She shrugged taking her cup

"Maybe because you're so unadulterated…" Ken suggested "You have a lovely face, Sora, and you are always in motion. It's exciting for people to watch you, I'm sure that once you're on stage you'll take their breaths away. You draw people in and captivate them. This isn't an emotion they can teach you at school and it's very rare that you can find a model with such qualities. I bet that he'll make an amazing painting."

"U-huh…" she nodded weakly, wondering why did she feel so strange all of the sudden "Well, I guess there's no helping it…"

"Sora, can I ask…" Ken trailed off "Did you….umm…I mean…you don't seem particularly interested in whether it's Mr. Oswald or me with you…"

"Really? Sorry, Ken, I'm actually glad you came today. Leon always makes me feel nervous, even though he doesn't even talk to me."

"Re…really?"

"Mhm…And besides, he can be very intimidating. Just by standing around, he makes you feel inferior. I feel comfortable with you. I'd have liked to work more like this but…I guess there's no way out of it."

"So…you and Mr. Oswald…you don't like him very much."

"About that…I'm not sure it's about liking or disliking…" Sora shrugged "I guess he hasn't done much to me to make me like or dislike him…" other than hurt one of my friends so badly she still can't talk about it, she added to herself "I don't really like the way he acts and the way he treats people, but I suppose that's only his loss."

"How so?" Ken asked "I mean…not that I don't agree with you, but he seems pretty content the way he is, alone on top of the world."

"Ah, you've noticed that too, didn't you?" she smiled "That's why I'm saying it's his loss, though-one day, he'll want somebody to join him there, even if it's to make the loneliness more bearable, but by then his behavior would've repelled that person to a degree where he or she wouldn't be able to overlook his faults to see any positive qualities he might have." And there, of course, were those who were more or less like her-fully aware of all his bad qualities, not seeing any good qualities other than his knack for voyeurism (depending on how loosely you defined 'positive' traits), and still wanting him. Now if that wasn't pathetic.

"I have an idea." Ken announced "There is a joint exhibition of the art students in a gallery nearby. Mr. Oswald even has a painting there. How about we go and check it out? It'll be fun."

_Why not? _It was a perfectly normal day and she was going to enjoy it to the fullest. Only Kami knew how much guilt she'd have to bear later on, so why not live the last of her carefree times?

* * *

She found out exactly how right she had been on the very next day. That time, Leon came to the park accompanied by Ken, and the dear boy looked like a first graded grounded for cheating on a test. If Leon was a bomb, then he looked like he was about to explode any moment now.

"Pardon for this inconvenience, Sora, but maybe Ken made you familiar with his duties yesterday." Leon drawled as they stopped in front of her bench. His voice was calm, scary calm, but she could tell that the emotions were pretty close to the surface with the way his jaw clenched between words. She was surprised he didn't show up dragging Ken by the lapels of his shirt "Unfortunately, we will have to do it again today."

"What's wrong with the pictures from yesterday?" she asked, feeling more indignant with every minute

"They will not do." Leon cut her off, sitting on the neighboring bench and taking his sketchbook out "Do your work." He ordered Ken "I'll do mine."

Sora felt her brows furrow with rightful indignation, but she knew better than to make a scene in front of Ken. Actually, she spent most of the time of the photo shoot wondering why the hell did Leon look so displeased when it was all working out well for him. They'd made more than enough pictures yesterday, and she'd been in a decidedly better mood then than she was now. Her vexation only deepened when she took a look at Ken-he really did look horrible. Ashen pale, and constantly on alert, he looked like he expected someone to snap at any moment, and since that wasn't likely to be her, she guessed that Leon had been less than polite with him than he had been with her.

When he was done, he didn't hang around for any useless chatter…good thing she had his number, she could call and check on him once the fire went down here. Sora had thought she had exhausted her quota of angry outbursts when she had snapped at Leon for hurting May, but now, seeing a Ken looking so shaken, she was surprised to find that there was actually a lot more she could say to him. She could hardly wait for Ken to be out of earshot to give Leon a piece of her mind…until, that is, he actually beat her to it.

"I wonder if it's because I used to sleep with May or because I am a Frenchman?" he wondered out loud, and there was no doubt that he was referring to her

"Excuse me?" she looked up, her anger peaking easily through her question

"The reason why you have such a vile attitude towards me. Because I slept with May or because I am a Frenchman. Obviously you have no trouble with the fact that I am a man, or you just prefer boys like that one." For a split second, he actually did look offended. But by then, Sora was so wound up with confusion, frustration and indignation, not only for her but on Ken's behalf as well, that comment was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The snap the book she held made when she slammed it shut was so loud for a second it felt like the whole world had gone quiet. But then it was only for a moment, when Leon gave her that condescending look, before Sora really broke loose.

"I don't know." He looked like he was about to laugh, but she didn't let him get there "Maybe if you stopped putting all your efforts into making yourself as disgusting as possible to me, I wouldn't have such a hard time deciding on an answer."

"Really now?" he put his own pencil down, his way of saying 'The game is on'.

"Yes, really." She was fully turned towards him "I can imagine why you'd like to annoy me, but why bully Ken, other than for the sheer pleasure you get from it? Yesterday, I had an amazing time and I don't need a degree in art to tell that he did a good job then. But instead of being happy, you decide to fool around with him, saying that his hard work _would not do_ and act all righteous and indignant because it just didn't suit the image you had in your head. Who do you think you are?"

"I never said that it didn't suit an image, Sora."

"You might as well have." She kept her voice on an even level, lest she attract attention, but every word was sharp and gritty like barbwire "You know what, I shouldn't have accepted this."

"You're right, you shouldn't have, if it makes you that unhappy. You can still pull out, but that would mean that…what did you say again?…Ken's _hard work_ will go to waste. All the efforts he put into doing things right will be spoiled if you turn back now. If this is what you want, then please, there is nothing to it on my part of the contract."

"I can't believe you!" Sora cried. Unadulterated, yeah right! "So this really was about revenge? Treating me like dirt because I slapped you!" Leon looked at her impassively "Forget it! I'm stupid to have actually thought that you were less insufferable than you are! How many times do I have to sit for this thing you've started?"

"Six days." He answered automatically. Six days…the nightmare ended on Halloween…how appropriate!

"Fine. I'll sit for this for six more days and then go find another model." Sora snapped, standing up and turning on her heel to leave.

"Sora." He called quietly after her. She turned around to see him handing her book to her.

"Thanks." She snapped

"You're welcome." Leon replied likewise.

* * *

Sora couldn't wait for the week to be over. Her appointments in the park felt like a horrible obligation, and after that first fight she started bringing the girls she was babysitting, Rosetta and Marion Brown, to the part with her, using her duties as a buffer of sorts, both against his advance and her bad moods. She never talked to him, but she knew he was there, drawing her. Rosetta even remarked on it once and she had to tell her some story about the art students coming often here to draw to throw her off the track.

Actually, that strategy almost worked. The girls were very sweet and they brought out the nicer side of things. Leon didn't dare approach them and she felt safe. When their playtime was over, she would go meet Ken in some café or deli bar, and they would dispel the remains of the tension she felt after having been around Leon. He didn't look as bad as he had been on the first day, but it appeared that the encounter he had with the Frenchman had shaken him up a bit. Like May, he didn't tell her what he had said, though in Ken's case, he hadn't said all that much either. His crushing exterior had done all the work for him.

Finally, finally, Halloween rolled around the corner and she had her last appointment with him. She didn't approach him when she started heading with the girls home, and he didn't try to stop her. All the better-Sora wasn't ready to hazard another outburst, and Leon was too much trouble. He'd send her the paycheck through the mail, surely…and these screaming matches she had with him were a little too exhausting. There was a part of her that felt saddened by the fact that he'd done nothing to prove that he was more than an insensitive jerk, but she quickly overcame it, thinking about the party the girls were throwing, the one she had invited Ken to go to.

Actually, it had already started when she returned, and Mia ushered her up to her room to change her in the costume before more people arrived. While Sora brushed her teeth and hair, her friend took out the dress she had sewn, and when it was finally adjusted, she had to admit that Mia had done a fantastic job. It went to her knees, with a tight bodice and a skirt that flared out. The design was very similar to the dress of the girl from that Rococo painting "The Swing", but it was much lighter and much more comfortable, Sora thought as she did a small pirouette in front of the mirror. Yup, she did look amazing.

Mia helped her put her hair and the two girls hurried downstairs to join the fun. The others were already gathered there with some of their closer friends. It always surprised her how incredible Mia was when she put her mind into something-their clothes were all patched up from old things, but they looked positively amazing. Even Layla-san, who was dressed in what was virtually old sheets and a leotard to look like Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Wisdom, still looked like she'd just stepped down from a fashion podium.

By the time it got dark, the party was already in full swing. Sora was surprised to find so many people had come, and luckily, they had locked the door to the stairs. Ken had showed up at some point and she had introduced him to her friends. Luckily, they had all hit it off pretty quickly, and even May seemed rather distracted from her usual brooding. It really had been a good idea to make this happen…too bad they had never really had an occasion.

But by eleven, it had become rather tiresome. No matter how little people there were, the place seemed crowded. Sora felt herself become rather hot in her dress, and some guy Karl that introduced himself as a friend of a friend of May kept insisting bringing her soda and talking to her. Ken was nowhere to be seen, or any of her friends for that matter, and she was starting to feel edgy. In her own home, no less. Sora wondered if she could call it a night had hide upstairs in the sanctuary of her bedroom, but when she finally managed to get away from Karl and actually go to the top floor, she realized she was not alone there.

_You've got to be kidding me,_ she thought. What was this, the second time this month? She wondered if this was some sort of punishment, continuously walking in on couples going at it. What was worse, the room where the activity was happening was open wide and she had to pass it to get to her room. Why had she chosen the one in the middle of the corridor, damn it? She planned to sprint past it, but apparently, fate had other plans for her. Because as she moved past it, she ended up looking inside, and when her eyes fell on the couple tangled in the sheets, her feet took a different turn and she returned downstairs, face draining quickly of blood and her head becoming lighter than a feather.

I've got to get out of here, she thought frantically as she pushed past the bodies towards the exit, all the while trying desperately to erase the image etched in her brain,_ I have to get out of here._

* * *

**A/N-So, do you guys like Bleach? Do you love writing? Then check out the new challenge my friend and I set up, at my forum "From Christmas to Easter, let's write stories together!". You can reach it through the "My Forums" link on my profile page! ;)**

**F.S.-Review, and I'll get Leon to do something nice in the next chapter.**

**Leon-*glare* You really like messing around with me, don't you.**

**F.S.-Of course I do! That's my job, isn't it?**

**Leon-You hardly give me any limelight and yet you fuck around with me like a trained monkey.**

**F.S.-Hey, I'm getting you laid there mister, the only thing you should be saying right now is 'I love you!' Say, what are you doing here anyway?**

**Leon-You promised a raging jealous me in the last chapter, didn't you?**

**F.S.-Not for me, you dope, for the readers. Go back into that story immediately!**

**Leon-*grumbles* Getting me laid, but not with the single woman I actually want.**

**F.S.-There, there, wonder boy, the story's not over yet.**


	5. Rush

Song: Rush by Ali and Aj (there is a very nice Sora/Leon video with it on youtube)

* * *

Rush

Sora staggered outside, and braced herself on the little brick fence surrounding the house. Her body suddenly felt both heavy and light, hot and cold. What had that been? Had she really just…no, no way…she blinked her eyes a few times, feeling slightly sick. What was with her walking in on people? It was mortifying. Moreover, people she knew…gross! She would need bleach for her eyes, she knew that. Her body shook uncontrollably when her memory oh-so-gently reminded her of the scene she had just witnessed. Had that really happened?

She shook her head, attempting slightly to regain her sobriety. She'd had nothing but soda for the entire night and yet she knew fairly well that people always brought some sort of alcohol. Was it possible that someone had spiked the drinks? Very possible. In such cases it was best to be alone while the side effects wore off, but she was afraid to go up. What if they saw her? What if they tried to explain?

Sliding down the wall, she sat on the cold grass in her dress and let her hands fist into her skirt. Her head was pounding. The music and the laughter from inside were no longer cheerful, but torturous. She wanted to get away. She wanted…

"There you are." Karl what's-his-name called as he joined her outside "Decide to take a break from the party? Good idea, sometimes it gets too stuffy there."

What was with this guy? Sora's entire body tensed dejectedly. Any person in their right mind would've seen she was feeling sick and would've tried to help, not…joining her on the grass. Or at least have the courtesy to leave her alone. Actually, he looked even more plastered than her, which was probably because he started much earlier in the night. A part of her, a huge part of her was horrified because she hadn't seen the danger sooner, but the alcohol had dulled her senses, giving a false sense of security. It was as if some devil was whispering in her ear: _"It'll be fine, what's the worst he could do to you? The house is full of people, ready to come to your aid at any time."_

Her senses dulled, Sora couldn't do much other than rest her head on the cold brick, hoping for the best. Unfortunately, her companion was much better in holding it than her, because he scooted over and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"No…" she tried to make it loud and vibrant, but it came out much, much too feebly for her liking "No, don't…"

"Come on, sweetie, you know you'll like it." His voice purred in her ear and she shuddered in disgust. Weakly, she tried protesting, leaning towards the ground with all her weight, but he just kept pulling her up, much like a ragged doll. Sora wondered if she could scream before he frog marched her to his car, when suddenly, she heard loud footsteps. Somebody was running in their direction. She livened up and tried struggling with renewed vigor.

"Hey!" somebody yelled, and she paused, confused. The voice was familiar, but the heavy accent made it difficult for her to recognize it. Luckily, the man reached them and asked "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Piss off, buddy!" Her captor snapped and she whined "Ain't none of your business."

"It sure as 'ell looks like it's my business." The man replied

"She's fine with me!"

"No…" Sora whined again, a feeling of nausea rising from her stomach.

"She doesn't look like she's fine."

"Well, she doesn't know what's good for her…."

The next thing she knew, there was a blunt sound, skin slapping against skin. Somebody had punched somebody and since Karl wavered, she guessed that he'd been on the receiving end. He let go of her, but before she could fall on the ground like a sack of potatoes, somebody else caught her. She wanted to sob with relief, even if the man was considerably bigger and stronger than the one who'd just held her. She felt safe.

His arms closed protectively around her and she could hear him snarl: "Get out of 'ere! And if I see you around 'er again you'll wish you were never born."

The accent was slowly fading away, much like the presence of the other guy, and she struggled to open her eyes. The guy was trying to sling her arm over his neck and walk her back inside, but the nausea had already gone too far for her to handle. Sora managed to croak at him to let her go, which, luckily, he did, before she collapsed on her knees by the wall and threw up. Good God…what had they slipped in her drink.

Her savior came up behind her, pulled her hair away from her face and held her forehead lest she hit it. "Thanks…." She managed to croak between gasps for air. But when he presented a handkerchief and tried wiping her mouth for her, she finally got a good view of him and blanched. "Leon-san!"

It was amazing what a sobering effect the realization had on her. In two seconds flat she was almost fully awake and articulate and she was staring at him like he'd just confessed to be a transsexual. Her hand went up to cover her mouth and she briefly considered running away, before she came up with two reasons not to. One, her legs were currently weak and unable to hold her, and two, his hands were still holding her hair. So she could only stare at him, completely mortified.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked. He really didn't look angry, just…slightly worried

"Please, don't get me inside…." She whispered behind her hand, trying hard not to mess up. Leon nodded, and before she could protest, scooped her up and carried her quickly across the street to a pharmacy.

* * *

Luckily, the girl that was in charge for the night let him carry her to the office and gave her some water and painkillers. She didn't feel much better, but at least the sleepiness and the nausea were going away. It did wash away the foul taste in her mouth too.

Her head was beginning to hurt and she cradled it in her hands. A large hand rubbed her back slowly. She didn't look up-she already knew it was Leon. Why was he still there? A torrid of feelings overcame her and she felt overcome with all of them at once-fear, disgust, mortification, giddiness, joy, gratitude…It was stupid. Ten hours prior she had nothing to say to him and suddenly there was so much on her mind that if she opened her mouth, she'd probably make a fool out of herself….again.

"I hope this is enough, I didn't think you'd like to be sent to the hospital." He said. She snuck a peek at him over her hands.

"You know…" she mumbled "Your accent has a very funny way of appearing."

Leon gave her a level look, before rolling his eyes towards the ceiling with exasperation. "I wouldn't know. I've never paid attention to it when I see people in trouble."

"Yeah, me neither." She mumbled, trying to hide her face again

"Now what is that supposed to mean?"

"I'd never pegged you to be the damsel-in-distress-hero type." Sora replied, before slapping a hand over her mouth. Apparently, her brain and her tongue were still not in union yet. Next to her, Leon's hand felt limply on his knee and she didn't need to look to see that his face was blank again.

She immediately felt like a total idiot. Not only had he come to her aid, and she wasn't sure if she would've gotten out of it without his help, now he stood there, seeing her at her worst, offering support much like the friends she needed now but couldn't have. Sure, he'd been mean to her, but if he was disgusted with her, he definitely didn't show it.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered "You didn't deserve that. You were only helping me…"

"Yes, you're right to be." He replied curtly, before handing her a stack of wet hankies "You might want these. The front of your dress is muddy."

"Oh…" She blushed, before reaching for them "I'm sorry."

"You know, letting you guard down like that…" Leon sighed with exasperation "It's a miracle somebody hasn't taken advantage of you in any way…"

Sora didn't reply, dabbling at a spot with a pointed urgency. He observed her for a while, before getting up with a sigh "Well, I'm not wanted here, so I suppose I should go…"

"No, wait!" her head snapped up suddenly and her hand reached over to grab at the sleeve of his coat. Leon stopped dead in her tracks and turned, probably to glare at her, stunned by her forwardness. She quickly let go of him, blushing even more profusely "I mean…I'm not ungrateful for you help or anything…and…it's not over yet…I don't want to go back there yet…" get a grip and manage a full sentence, you idiot, her inner voice screamed desperately. She took a deep breath and forced herself to look at him in the eyes "Please, Leon-san…will you stay with me for a little longer…please…I won't talk, I won't even breathe…I really don't want to be alone."

She was honest too. As if the shock had finally caught up with her (or the prospect of being left alone had somehow served as a catalyst, she didn't know), her whole body was trembling and she felt her breathing become shallow. The anxiety attack was definitely going to be a good one, she thoughts sourly, but before her thoughts could go any further, Leon, without saying a word, or even looking at her twice, sat back down next to her, took a handkerchief and wiped her face with it.

"You shouldn't wear so much make-up." He stated simply "Ruins the skin…"

"Sorry."

"And stop apologizing. Since the girl that let us here will probably chase us out when the next shift comes, would you like us to take this someplace else?" Leon stood up and offered her a hand. She forwent it, but replied nevertheless.

"Anywhere is fine." She said "The park?"

"How about the café?" he countered, gesturing her to follow him out. The girl waved them goodbye from the door, but Sora had little time to think about how Leon had persuaded her to let them in. The chilly breeze hit her body, causing her to shudder instinctively. For the first time since Mia had dressed her, she thought it had been a bad idea. The dress, while pretty, did nothing to help her from the cold.

Leon turned to see what was keeping her and she tried putting on her façade, walking out in the wind without shaking. However, her face must've betrayed her because before she knew it, he was shrugging off his coat and handing it to her.

* * *

A few minutes later they were in one of those 24/7 coffee shops that littered the city. She'd tried giving him his garment back, but he had just stared at her as if she was crazy. From that point on, she'd simply given up on trying to vocalize any protests. Leon was simply bigger and stronger than her-if he wanted something, he'd do it. That's why she didn't protest when he got them a cup of coffee, or kept his coat wrapped around her shoulders, even if it was too big for her.

Though he wasn't like Karl…he wouldn't try and take advantage of a helpless person…The realization wasn't that shocking, but it did come as a surprise. So far she had thought of Leon as a demon that was sent to torture her and her friends. His actions, his attitude, they had all classified him as a mean, dangerous person. And yet he had come to her aid when she had done nothing to deserve it…especially after having a scream match with him, and then not bothering to talk about it. True, he had been mean to Ken, but maybe…

Ken…

Sora pursed her lips and sighed, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a long sip. "By the way, it's not because you used to…be with May." She stated as she put it down. Leon just looked at her questioningly. He seemed to have been lost in his own world, his eyes averted towards the outside. "Last Monday….you asked me if I was acting like I did around you because you were a Frenchman or because you used to be with May. I'm answering you."

He watched her for a while, before stating: "If memory serves me correctly, I said 'because I slept with May'."

"Yes, that's what I meant." She nodded, blushing furiously again. Her head was starting to hurt less though. "I'm not antagonizing you because you slept with May."

"What brought on this?" he asked

"What do you mean what brought this on? You find it so strange that I would not hold it against you that you and May were…well…ugh…" Sora blushed again. _Get it out_, her inner voice urged her, _get it out, this is only for the best_. "Men and women…who are in love…do it all the time, right? It's the natural course of things, right?"

"It is, though I wasn't talking about that. Why did you suddenly decide you needed to tell me that?" Leon clarified, setting his cup down on the table and resting on his elbow, angling his body to look at her better. Sora sighed, knowing full well that there was no way to get out of the embarrassing topic.

"Because I saw Ken in the same position as you and I don't think I'm going to start antagonizing him when I meet him in the morning." She blurted, before burning her tongue with another long gulp of coffee.

When Leon didn't reply, she ventured a look at him, and let out a small smile. His face, though impassive, was frozen stiff, meaning that he was trying hard to decipher what she had just said. Finally, he began: "You mean…" he was slow, like a first-grader who had just stumbled in French class "That you saw…Ken having…sex with May…and that you don't feel hatred towards him?" his voice was incredulous

"Yes. The feelings I have for him now are different from the ones I have for you." She nodded "But I don't hate him."

Leon glared at her, this time decidedly angry "Well, you should." He stated, picking his cup again.

"Why?" Sora knew she shouldn't have pressed him, but his reactions were just so…peculiar

"Isn't it obvious?" now the irritation was showing clearly. But he didn't elaborate on it-he just stared at her.

Now that she thought about it…what did she feel? When she had seen them, the only thing on her mind had been getting out of there, but it hadn't been like the times she'd walked in on May and Leon together. There was the mortification, of course, but other than that, she didn't feel irritated or angry or even remorseful. There was even a part of her that experienced…relief. It was irrational, but…she guessed it was because May had finally moved on…even if it was with Ken…

"Did May meet Ken tonight?" he asked. She nodded in affirmation "And you don't find it strange, alarming even…that they would fall in the hay together all of a sudden?"

"Maybe they felt it was right." Sora shrugged "I don't know. Some people need months to know they're in love, others need a mere few seconds to know it."

"And there are some who don't fall in love at all and yet they still do it." Leon replied, his expression faltering for a second "You should know that."

"Still, it's none of my business…Ken and I…" she paused, the realization sinking in. Did he mean that…? No, it was impossible, right? After all they'd never…and he'd never…and besides, it wasn't like he'd given her any hopes. He'd never tried anything remotely closed to a romantic advance, and he'd never acted like that around her.

"You've never been together? You're not his girlfriend and he wasn't trying to make you one? That's what you're thinking, isn't it?" Leon's voice was cold again, cutting easily through her thoughts. "But he did, and though you might not see it, others did."

"What do you mean?" She turned towards him

"I meant what I meant. That place you frequented after your sessions with me is inconsequentially facing the rooms of my professor's quarters. I saw you when I went for my classes." Leon explained "Nobody who ever got a look at you would've had a doubt about the nature of your relationship. He looked at you as if he wanted you. Don't think for one minute that you were imagining things." Leon emptied his cup briskly at that and motioned at the waitress to fill it again. Sora frowned.

"But…if he wanted me, why would he go to May if he…didn't want her more?"

He looked at her, exasperated. "My best guess is that May was a lot easier to figure out."

"What?!" she jumped at that, stung by the bitterness of his words. Leon simply shrugged "Are you trying to say that May is somehow…easy?"

"Well, you can't deny that she's a lot more open towards sex than you are. And besides, in spite of her bravado, she's a lot less intimidating than you are. She was more approachable, so he did what he did. But you shouldn't be so quick to forgive him." The man pointed out "He still acted disrespectfully towards you."

"I don't think it's worth getting mad over the hurt of feelings that were never there in the first place." Sora pointed out, looking outside sadly "I never fathomed that he might feel like that towards me…" _though I might have wished for it _"And besides, I'm glad that May is alright. She was devastated after you broke up and I was starting to get worried when she didn't get out of her depression…" She stopped when Leon snorted "What?"

"I'd hardly call it depression."

"You never saw her."

"I can easily imagine."

"No you can."

"She's a good actress, Sora, that's all." Leon snapped "And I really am sick of your treating me as if I was the reason for the break up. If you don't recall correctly, she was the one who ended it."

"Well I can't help but wonder why she did that. One minute she was all stars and butterflies and hearts and the next she was breathing fire. You did something, obviously."

"Yes, I did, though I never fathomed….look, must you continue on this matter?"

"May is my friend, Leon-san, something that devastated her like this is my business."

"Yes, devastated enough for her to bed your potential boyfriend, she sure needs your protection." His voice was acid now, showing his impatience and anger. Sora breathed a sigh.

"Like I said, we were nothing of the sort. Please don't be mad!"

"Somebody has to be, since you refuse to." Leon looked at her. "You really take an eager interest in their well-being, although they don't reciprocate your sentiments the slightest. You're not a tool, Sora."

"Friendship isn't about what you do, it's about what you're willing to do." She chided, then added as an afterthought "And besides, you're cruel enough to them."

Leon huffed, glaring at her. "I think I'm being honest here. In my opinion, that's what people should do. Honesty is much more preferable to lies."

Sora ignored the pang in her chest when he said 'lies'. What did he know? Was this his elaborate way to call her on her bluff? She did lie to her friends by omission about him, and had they known, they would've been very disappointed. Still…all he had done so far was help her and perhaps be a little mean. Nothing out of the ordinary…if you considered that he helped everyone in need. Which brought her to the main point…

"Leon-san, what were you doing at my house? I thought May didn't want to see you there again."

"Ah, that….I was just passing by." He replied, hesitating "I was in the middle of a…dilemma and a walk always helps me clear my head."

"Oh…" she looked curious "What kind of dilemma?"

"I needed to figure something out. I think I did." Leon looked at her again "Look…I won't apologize for what I said about May, no matter how much you may think I should. What happened between us is to remain between the two of us alone and you should stop trying to intervene in that affair." She glared at him "But…I will apologize for the way I acted towards you on Monday. You were only defending what you though was right, and I had no right to lash out on you."

"Are you suggesting that maybe I was wrong?" Sora asked

"Well, you thought I didn't like Ken's work because it didn't fit an image I had…that's not entirely true, although you were smiling on all of the pictures while you never smile around me. But the pictures were taken at bad angles, all as if he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. He had obviously been slacking off, probably looking at you instead of the camera and the focus." Leon explained "I already gave him a talking to because he obviously wasted time, but I never expected that you would be so quick to defend him without even knowing what he actually did. It took me aback, and I thought you were hardly any objective."

"From what you tell me, I guess I wasn't." Sora replied, blushing. God, could this night be anymore embarrassing? "I'm sorry, Leon-san. I was not fair then, and in view of what you did for me tonight, that makes me feel even worse."

"Don't." he replied "You didn't know. And I was certainly not any better, getting angry instead of explaining things to you." Leon looked at the clock and sighed "We should go now. The party should be breaking up and your friends will be looking for you."

"Yeah, I guess so." She nodded, getting up slowly.

* * *

He walked her over to the corner of the street and, sure enough, the music coming out of their house was decidedly softer, and there were less people in the windows. Sora gingerly took off his coat and he reluctantly accepted it. Both knew that it would cause unwanted questions and she wasn't ready for them. Still, she didn't go back. Instead, she kept looking at the ground, shuffling her feet.

"Well…I guess I should go…" she mumbled, looking up shyly "Once again, I'm sorry for being so impatient, and thank you for tonight…without your help, I wouldn't have…"

"Don't say that….Even without me, somebody would've come to your aid…Besides, I should be the one apologizing."

They sank into silence again. The next one who broke it was, surprisingly, Leon: "Look, I know it's rather unexpected, but will you continue to model for me for a while?"

Sora paused. "How long exactly is 'a while'?"

"Until you want." He replied promptly

"Alright." She nodded, before another gush of the wind caused her to shudder "I'm going back now."

"Yes…" he nodded "I will wait for you tomorrow. Same place."

It was simple as that, and they had to let go. But while Sora was running back into the house, praying that she got to her room this time, her heart clenched tightly in her chest. This was bound to end up badly, and yet…yet she couldn't stop herself from accepting. An alertness which she didn't know she possessed kept her awake long after the music died and her friends locked the doors…

* * *

**A/N-Another chapter to you. I'm sorry if it was...well, rushed, but I was kinda distracted lately and I really wanted to update on time. I registered on livejournal too, but I'm still learning about there. My name is 'brouillions', if anyone would like to help me, I'd appreciate it.**

**Any comments are, of course, very much craved...like that tiramisu I made and I can't eat right now because it's too late and the coffee will keep me awake all night *sulks***

**Now, what goddies to offer to you this time....*ponders***

**Review, and you'll get a little insight from Leon in the next chapter!**


	6. Affirmation

**Theme song: Affirmation by Savage Garden

* * *

**

Affirmation

Leon sat, watching the patch of light that was Sora's window with his brow furrowed pensively. The music had completely died and even the most ardent party-goers had been drawn to their beds. The uneven bricks were digging into his back, and the sky seemed labored with dark rain clouds. He winced as he threw a quick glance at his watch…2 AM, no wonder his body was protesting against the effort of staying awake in this ungodly hour…

But he couldn't go back, not yet.

Finally, every light in the house died and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Sora's curtain fall. _Good girl_. He knew that if there had been the slightest chance of him catching a glimpse of her, he would stay out all night. And he had a big day coming up. He needed to be ready for anything she might throw his way when they met to discuss another session of her posing and him trying to draw her while fighting the growing attraction that settled in

He wasn't stupid, after all. Leon Oswald was French, a prodigious artist, and an overall cold person, but above all-a man, and as such was well aware of the trials of the aforementioned. Women, too, were not a great mystery to him, having had more than one in his twenty-four years. Rumors about him flied and spread past his colleagues at Ruskin. That he had slept with an older woman to get enough money to pay for his tuition. That he had slept with at least fifty girls. That he always cheated on his girlfriend. That more than one professor had demanded sexual services from him in order to let him pass his class, and that in the end they had ended up servicing him.

Leon wasn't a person to let a fleeting rumor throw him off balance. Jealousy and rejection were his constant companions and for as long as there were humans around him, slander would try and bring him down in the mud. He never tried inspecting the rumors in detail, or sought their source. He didn't plan to uproot them, because doing so would require a Herculean effort that he would rather put in more rewarding ventures.

Like perhaps convincing Sora to be his friend. Hell, convincing her to smile at him would be enough, although he wasn't sure if he was up to the task. Tonight, they had been closer than before, and the farthest they had gotten was the awkwardness that fleeted around her because of how he had seen her, because he had helped her when she had treated him with injustice.

If he hadn't been sure he would've scared her away, he would've told her plainly that seeing her being sick was hardly revolting and that the only feeling he had gotten out of assisting her was absolute pleasure. She wouldn't have believed him. Hell, a person who didn't know him one bit would've have believed him. If he had friends, they would've laughed in his face for saying that.

Yet it was the truth. Sora Naegino had been the only woman to be able to tell him her mind, other than Sophie. Before, he'd never considered it possible for any woman to catch his interest other than an object of fleeting lust and a source of physical release. That was why he never bothered learning Sora's name, along with those of May's roommates. He knew that in a few months time, it would be over, and that he had better things to memorize. It hadn't been any different than any relationship he had had-they had sex, he took her with him to events as a sophisticated (more often, not so much) arm candy, and she took pleasure in the attention, the social status her relationship with him brought her. She got in over her head, of course, making plans for a life that wasn't hers, and venting out to him about all her troubles, as if he would do anything about them. It even ended as any other relationship, until of course the mousy redhead that always seemed to walk in the wrong moment came in the scathing rain and slapped him.

To say that he'd been stunned had been an understatement. Anger followed it soon afterwards. How dare that little girl actually talk back at him, this was none of the business?

And then came the curiosity.

And then the fascination.

Leon caught himself watching her, going out of his way to be at places she would go, always keeping a distance, studying her, assessing her. The things he had found out about her stunned him to no end, but it also put him to shame for having grown so disgustingly inobservant of people. Sora was more than a mousy bookworm (and how could he assume she was a bookworm when she was a dancer, he couldn't tell). He probably wouldn't have been able to live down that blow on his pride if his mind hadn't been too busy trying to figure out how come that woman-child could stand up to him and stun him into silence.

And then the most interesting thing happened. She was throw right into his arms, almost proverbially, and then had ended up witnessing that little show in the library. Usually he didn't see anything erotic in such displays, on the contraire, he found them crude and humiliating, but he couldn't help and wonder what it would be like if he pressed Sora against those shelves and ask her to follow the example.

She would've kicked him between the legs, that's what. She was a fully trained ballet dancer, too, it would've hurt like hell. Though it would've been a nice lesson in humility, he was glad he didn't go through it. Sora Naegino wasn't a woman who would jump at every chance to have sex with someone, let alone in a public place. Not to mention that his own incertitude as to how he felt about her at the time wasn't going to make things easier. What was she, other than a very interesting girl? The object of his infatuation, no doubt, because he'd practically flirted with her while the faux-porno scene was going on three feet from them.

The idea of having her as a model was quick, a whim that had passed through his head as he watched her watch them….and yet it had been brilliant. He could conveniently look at her every day, paint her too, and maybe get close to her. Eventually, she might open up to him….

And when she had tried resisting the idea, he had been both baffled and stunned by her intensity. Her blank refusal and her reasoning hadn't made sense, especially her motivating it with his recent relationship with May. To him, it had seemed a stupid notion, to let peer pressure rule your life, but then again, he had never had friends. Every time he had seen Sora since, she would be distant and aloof, and he couldn't help but wonder why. For the first time he'd wondered if he'd been to harsh on May and that had left a bad impression on Sora.

Then he had to work and sent Ken to take those pictures. God, the fury he'd felt when he'd seen them. Sora, smiling to this complete stranger, this _boy_…when he could only see her scowls or, rarely, her blushes. The blind rage he had flown in, immediately followed by the scathing comments he'd given Ken, had been the first indicator that something had gone wrong, but he didn't realize it until Sora called him on it.

And if that hadn't been humiliating enough, she made it clear she preferred that boy to him. Why? He didn't know, but he let her have her space. God knew, he probably needed it too.

But he couldn't bring himself to let it go. After having watched her for so long, after having drawn her, he couldn't fool himself that Sora wasn't different than the rest of the lot. He'd spent a damnable week, thinking and dismissing scenarios of how to talk to her, of how to apologize…and coming up with none.

Finally, he'd wandered around their house, hoping to come up with the idea at the right time, when fate or destiny or something gave him the most horrid and perfect opportunity.

It had taken everything he had to just take care of Sora and not beat the guy into a bloody pulp. Nothing, absolutely nothing would've given him more pleasure than to showing that man what it was like to be pushed around by somebody who was physically bigger and stronger than you. But he didn't indulge, and was rewarded. Having Sora in his arms was divine and he wasn't too embarrassed to use every opportunity to have her there.

But the fury had returned, and now that he was in his apartment, he couldn't help but think with distaste of May and her ways. Sora could think whatever she wanted-if thinking she hadn't noticed Ken's puppy looks made her feel better, then so be it. He wasn't going to call her on her bullshit because it would bring her pain, and he prided himself of being sensible of her feelings….now. Still, he couldn't believe he actually let her socialize with that idiot, who played the friend part until easy sex presented itself. May had gotten him just the way she had gotten anyone else in her life, and it had pained Leon to see Sora struggle to keep a happy face on come up with excuses for her.

May would've never been so generous. Actually, he put more thought in their relationship now that it was over than he ever had during it-May would always bitch about everything and everyone, even her roommates. She'd only look up to Laya for her accomplishments, and that was basically the only person that held her respect. If May ever heard that Sora was talking to him, even if their relationship was over, she'd become possessive and blame Sora for trying to steal him. What was that code with girls, if a guy has screwed your friend he's off limits to you? It never made much sense, but he could guess that Sora might be convinced to think in such a way.

Hypocrisy ran deep and he wasn't sure how to make her see it.

Leon sighed, sitting down. Maybe it was for the best that she got that boy away from Sora, it made him sick to think that he could've been doing to her the same things he was doing with May. Sora needed someone more sensitive, more experienced….

_Like you?_ His inner voice mocked. _What do you think she would've thought if you told her that the reason you managed to come to her rescue was because you were stalking her? She'd get a restraining order on your ass before you could explain._

* * *

In the morning, Sora was fussing around the kitchen, preparing hot coffee to go with the fries I'd made. Greasy food was best for after a hangover, after all. Layla was the first to be up, followed by Mia and then by Anna. May always took the most time, and Sora was slightly curious to see how she would present Ken to them. They had all seen him come with her, after all.

Apparently, nobody had noticed her little disappearing act and no-one had seen Leon lurk around. That was good, after all, it was still a sore theme….

May looked carefully in the kitchen. Her face looked pale.

"Good morning. I…umm…can I have my coffee upstairs?" Sora already had two mugs of coffee prepared, already knowing Ken's tastes, and handed them to her silently.

May understood immediately and instead of taking them, ran up the staircase. "KEN! GET YOUR ASS DOWN, SHE KNOWS YOU'RE HERE!"

Mia, Anna and Layla gave Sora speculative glances, and the girl just shrugged and went back to preparing sandwiches. She wasn't ready to explain yet. And May probably had a better story ready than her.

Apparently, she thought it wasn't anybody's business, because she dragged Ken into the kitchen and set him on the table. Sora, not knowing exactly what to tell him, just went on with her duties. "Alright, I'll be going now, before I'm late for practice."

"Wait, Sora…" May interrupted her "I need to talk to you." Before she could react, she dragged her too the living room and shut the door. "Sora, I hope that you're not mad…"

"For what?"

"For me and Ken. Look, I know we've known each other for all of twelve hours, and that he was your guest, but…"

"May, I really don't mind."

"Really? Because he freaked out that you might."

"I'm not mad." She mumbled, but it was difficult to keep a straight face. It did hurt, nevertheless. Why did she have to throw it in her face.

"Look, I believe you." May said condescendingly "I just want you to know, that you did me a great service by introducing me to Ken. This isn't a one-night thing, and…well, I want you to know that we're in love."

_Please, gag me!_ The annoying inner-Sora whined with revulsion. _Who does she think she is?! Hypocrite! She was pinning after Leon just yesterday, and she insisted that she was in love with him too. _

Sora just smiled. "I'm very happy for you."

"Then why don't you stay?" May asked "Why won't you have breakfast with us if you're alright with it?"

"Because I'm late for class?" _and then a meeting with your ex. He wants to paint me, did he ever have such requests towards you?_

"Oh…" May blinked "Well, I'm glad you introduced us, anyway. He's helped me forget for once what that bastard Leon put me through."

Sora just nodded and left the house. Her smile was bittersweet.

* * *

**A/N-A rather short chappie, I guess, I'm sorry for that. Senior year takes its tool out of me and I may not be able to upload often. Still, I'm looking forward to your reviews.**

**And now that I've mentioned them...Review and we'll have more Sora/Leon interaction in the next chappie.**


	7. One Wish

**Theme song: One Wish by Roxette

* * *

**

One Wish

Sora squinted at the heavens before accelerating her pace. It was going to rain again, and she didn't want to be in the open. Hopefully, Leon would be there by the time she arrived, so they might move to someplace warm, or postpone this visit. Somehow, the latter felt like the better option to her-not only had it been less than 18 hours that she'd been sick as a dog in front of him (clearly not enough time to recuperate from the shock and shame), but practice today had been brutal. Most of the class had been hung over and tired and Mme Pinot hadn't spared any efforts into making them suffer. Currently, her hair was still in it's ballet bun, her clothes were heavy and uncomfortable on her and she felt nothing like seeing Leon.

Just as the first raindrops started to fall, she sprinted into the park and saw Leon leaning against one of the benches. Without saying a word, he motioned her to follow him in the library. However, the storm had been brewing for some time, and they were pretty much soaked.

They were in the foyer. Leon barely turned to tell her to wait a little before he headed to the head librarian's desk.

She scowled. Why did he have to be so domineering? She eyed his broad back as he discussed something with the woman, while wrapping her arms around herself. It was cold.

"Sora!" A voice exclaimed behind her and she turned around, both mortified and surprised to find Ken standing there. He must've been in the library to do some work, she thought frantically, while hoping desperately that her pink jacket provided no insight on how her body looked. However, given the freezing, clingy feeling she was getting, it was probably a vain hope.

"Hi, Ken." She tried to be friendly and cheerful…and probably failed miserably, because his face fell quickly

"Look I…." he gulped "I'm really sorry, about last night, I…I should have acted with more thought…May is truly, really amazing, and I…well, I had a blast talking to her…I don't want you to think lowly of me, I was really worried this morning."

"Ken!" Sora said softly, hoping like hell that he would just shut up "It's alright. Really. You shouldn't be embarrassed. Besides, May really is amazing. She deserves you." _So please, please, please, leave me alone_, she chanted in her mind, while her Evil Mini Me donned a white bandana, lit candles and started pinning needles into a small Ken voodoo doll.

"Well…I just wanted to say that…I really value you as a friend and I don't want to lose our friendship…" his speech was cut short just as she felt something heavy drape over her shoulders, and she looked up to see Leon fasten his coat over her. "Errr….Hello, Mr. Oswald."

"Robins." Leon nodded "Do you have some message to deliver?"

"No, I was just passing by."

"In the library?"

"Why yes, I do work in the library." Ken puffed up his bird chest and Leon just gave him another cold look "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because you are intruding on Sora's work time. I would've assumed that there is something important you need to tell her." He was eyeing him up and down and before Ken disintegrated, Sora hurried to say:

"Ken, I just wanted to say that I thank you for your honesty and that I really appreciate your understanding." The boy blinked confusedly "I understand this might be a detail not many men would keep from their girlfriends, but you know May's history with Leon, and you know she wouldn't really understand my working for me."

"Oh…ugh…yeah."

"Sorry for taking up your time." She smiled, urging him to go. _Now!_

"Umm…no problem. I'll be seeing you around, I guess." He nodded a goodbye at Leon, before scurrying away. Sora breathed a sigh of relief before looking up to the Frenchman.

Leon was looking at the retreating figure, his eyes narrowed with something akin to distaste. She wondered if she had something to do with that, but when his eyes fell down on her, she suddenly wished the earth would open up and swallow her. He was smoldering! And she suddenly felt tiny and ridiculous next to him….

…Which was probably because she was wearing his coat, which in turn, as something created for a man that was twice her size, draped over her small frame like a large cloak. It looked both comic and sad, because for a split second she wondered what it would be like to wear one of his dress shirts (like the one he had donned today), and then came crashing on Earth because, obviously, this was not happening. Period.

"Come on." He ordered and she quickly followed him towards the reading rooms.

"Hey…" Sora whispered, worrying that he might blow up if he scowled a little more like that. "Don't be mad. He was just being kind."

"Being kind? As if you're the one that should be asking for forgiveness." He snorted, and for the first time he actually looked flustered. Then he gave her a strange look. "You seem terribly quick to forgive someone who hurt you."

Sora was about to retort, when she realized where he was getting at. Leon was too proud to say it himself, but he was obviously flustered at the notion that she would easily forget Ken's transgressions when it came to her, yet she was still blaming him for what he did to May. For a second, she debated whether she would or would not tell him her mind, but ended up drawing a blank when she realized that the clicking sound she had just heard was the door to the reading room being closed.

And then once again, she was feeling self-conscious. In spite of their quick escape from the storm, both were pretty much soaked. Leon didn't seem flustered one bit, opting to tie his hair at the nape of his neck before pulling his sketchbook out of his bag and placing it on the table. Sora noted, off handedly, that there was a small stack of books she had been reading before gathered there, no doubt he had asked for them before coming over to scare Ken out of his mind. Ugh.

His shirt and his pants were relatively dry, but her own clothes were probably soaked and therefore unfit to be seen. The place was warm, at least, she wouldn't exactly catch a cold…in fact, she might just dry up on her own, with all the blushing she was doing. The small room, and the memories of what she….what they had witnessed when they were last in the library, made her cheeks burn harder than ever. Leon seemed utterly unaffected, but then again, Sora couldn't imagine the proud man ever losing his composure.

"Sit down." He urged her "Since the weather is getting worse, we could meet here instead…Sora?"

"Umm? Oh, yeah, you're right." She nodded

"You're still worried that your friends might disapprove? You do know that this is none of their business." Leon pointed out, getting to the root of the problem immediately. Not a big surprise, Sora had told him as much, but it wasn't until last night that he actually understood how deep the problem ran.

"I'm not that worried. Layla-san knows and she's the one who convinced me to accept your proposal. It's just that…" the redhead sighed "I don't hold a grudge against May for what happened, but…"

"But you know she wouldn't be so generous." Leon finished. Seeing the girl nod miserably, he shook his head and put his pencil down "Sora, whatever May says or does when she finds out you've been posing for me would be hypocritical and irrelevant. The nature of my relationship with you doesn't go anywhere near as the relationship she has with Ken right now….or the one she had with me, for that matter. Furthermore, she should be well aware of how hard student life is, and how student loans can be. She cannot possibly blame you for having accepted a job that would help you. Besides…" he added, as an afterthought "I don't really understand women's reasoning, that you couldn't talk to a friend's ex. We barely talked at that time."

"It's not…like that." True, his reasoning made a lot more sense, but it wasn't just the present that mattered. It was also the person he had been, the person he probably still was. Loyalty wasn't so important as to the fact that getting hurt the same way your friend did wasn't…nice. Or sensible. Or…anything good, for that matter.

_But Leon says you're not like May to him_, her inner voice teased, and Sora had to fight the urge to cringe. Yes, he had made it abundantly clear that their relationship was nothing like the one he had had with her friend. So did that mean? From what she had witnessed, she knew their relationship had been pretty much sexual. So…maybe she was his friend, or an employee? Someone towards whom he couldn't have such…urges…

Her face was aflame and she tried to hide it by burying herself into his coat. Pretending to be cold wasn't too part, and thankfully, it was large enough to hide her. How mortifying!

"Are you alright?" Leon asked "We could stop now, if you're not comfortable." Obviously, she wasn't, but she shook her head stubbornly "What is the matter then?"

"I was just…reminiscing…" Sora wrinkled her nose in what she hoped was a convincing gesture "Since you brought up your relationship with May."

"Oh?" Leon blinked several times, before a few well-selected memories of just how thorough Sora's knowledge of his relationship with May had been. "Oh."

It's not like that, she wanted to scream, but deep inside, she knew this was what her actions would imply. And while she was relieved that she was, still, pretty much safe from May's scathing remarks, there was a part of her that felt a little disappointed that Leon didn't see her as a woman.

'_It's alright.'_ Sora thought _'That's how I want it to be.'_

Meanwhile, Leon had set his pencil down again and was looking out the window, the fingers of his free hand drumming against the surface of the desk. He wondered, briefly, if he looked as mad as he felt. Not with Sora, mind, though she could have gone without bringing _that_ up…oh, wait, he'd brought that up…but still…Now all he could think about was the positions she had found him and May in.

In that moment, he wondered if this was perhaps the proverbial opening he was waiting for. The opportunity to tell her that this job was just a screen, that drawing her face would soon not be enough, and having her in his arms last night, even while she was sick as a dog, made him want her more than he had wanted any of the women of his past combined.

But once again, he didn't do it. Cowardice, like hypocrisy, was paralyzing, and he wasn't entirely sure how Sora might take that little piece of news. Moreover, he'd just told her that he didn't see her in any way he saw May. Given that her opinion of him, her _impressions_ of him, were hardly favorable, she would probably think worse things than he had in mind. _At which point, exactly, did it become acceptable to lust after a girl like Sora?_ His mind asked sarcastically from the shadows, making him frown slightly.

Leon wouldn't call it lust, per see. He knew what it felt like and this wasn't what he felt for her. Sora, too, wasn't exactly fueling his fantasies, which made it even more ridiculous that people like Karl or Ken couldn't keep their minds in the right track.

But he didn't want her to think something wrong. So he settled for the middle road, and forced himself to look at her in the eye.

"Sora, I don't want you to think about this when we're working." Leon said, hoping to sound professional and cool "I understand you might have your reserve, given that your impressions of my character were hardly favorable. I draw a line between my professional and my personal life, though, and I expect you to do the same." She nodded "Is this everything that has been bothering you?" Another nod "Then I suppose we should head out. It has stopped raining and I don't want you ending sick. I'm finished for the day anyway."

And he meant it. In more ways than one.

* * *

Sora suppressed the urge to wince when she brought her leg up until it was aligned with her ear, then breathed a sigh of relief when she took it down. November had been pretty rough on her, and she was surprised she didn't have to go on a diet with all the chocolate she had consumed in the few weeks. Working with Leon was exhausting her emotionally and she wasn't sure what else, other than the tasty goodness would help her deal with the man's violent mood swings. Sometimes, he would be calm and composed, and then passionate and angry in the other. It was giving her a whiplash, especially when they would be calmly talking about the weather when this would happen.

Yes, they talked. Not much, as the month had proven terribly warm, and he could draw her while she played with Rosetta and Marion in the park. But when they did talk…well, it was…weird.

She couldn't really figure out a word to describe it. Sometimes they would exchange pleasantries, but only when she felt compelled to make small talk. Usually, his grim mood would render him incapable of conversation, but, strangely enough, his silence wasn't a bad one. Sora felt strangely at ease, though the fact that she couldn't pinpoint why made her queasy.

May and Ken's relationship was developing in an…acceptable speed. They went out, he brought her flowers, he slept over from time to time…she tried not thinking about it much, and they had been considerate enough to keep to themselves when she was around. Sora couldn't tell if they were just uneasy or guilty, but as long as May was happy, she couldn't complain, really.

_Focus!_ Her mind chided as it threw imaginary pillows around her head._ This is important!_

Sora nodded to herself and pinched her cheeks a little too hard to keep her mind in place. This really was important. The organizers of a student workshop were going to have the audition for the individual parts of the next productions and she had to get into one. She had already been to the one for back-up dancers, but she wasn't going to depend on that alone. Talent scouts came to watch these productions and there was a good chance she wouldn't be noticed unless she was center stage.

This was time when her insecurities couldn't stop her. She knew she had a talent, she just had to let it shine.

The audition was two parts-a grand pas de deux with a randomly assigned partner, and a solo performance. Strangely enough, she was more nervous about the latter, because it was the place when her individuality shone through. The pas de deux was hard, of course, but she had grown to trust on the guys at the course. She was never clingy or unprofessional, and the guys liked her. But her teachers always told her that not many directors would take kindly to her exuberance.

Oh well…time for the truth anyway. She had been lucky enough to be assigned with Dio for the pas de deux and that was good, the guy was absolutely adorable and never tried feeling her up. Well, most male dancers were usually gay, but she never got that vibe from him anyway…_Focus, Sora!_

"Number 16, Sora Naegino!" alright. Deep breaths. Look at them in the face and then ignore everything.

It was dark! Too dark! She couldn't see anything outside of the lit stage! Panic engulfed her, but she quickly composed herself. Remember why you're here, Sora. This is your dream. Thinking it calmed her down enough to look where the judges were and then nod, her cue to start the music.

When the intro of the song started and the beat mixed itself with the one with her own heart, all the nerves suddenly evaporated and her body suddenly filled with energy. Although "One Wish" by Roxette didn't exactly fit with the theme of the workshop, but it was what she wanted and she was good at it. She had especially designed the choreography with Madame Pinot so that it would show off her technical skills as well as give her room for enough individualism.

And didn't she squeeze every last drop the song could offer her. Her smile didn't come down off her face, the enjoyment she had when she performed easily shone through. It was just when she was a small child in the first row of ballet class, only this time her movements were sharpened to perfection. Her turnout, her _fouettes_, her _pas de chat_, it was all perfect. She never lost her balance, even when she stood on her very toes and her foot moved in an attitude. Her _jettés_ were beautiful, as if she was drawing a painting with her body, and the lines remained graceful no matter how impossible her posture looked.

She finished and bowed to where the judges sat, and she received a little applause from some of the other dances. She couldn't see the looks on the people's faces, but the ambience was already better. Sora couldn't wipe the huge smile of her face, even when she got off the stage and skipped-ran to the dressing room to jump away the excitement.

Little did she know that the darkness concealed another person…a white haired man who suddenly discovered that he would never be able to look at a girl in a leotard the same way.

* * *

**A/N-A cliffie! Again! Argh!**

**Seriously though, sorry for not having updated sooner, but my week has been literally one from hell. And the outlook still sucks. The next update might not be until Christmas, but...I'll put more effort. In the meantime, you're free to read the ficlet "Christmas Ruse" I wrote earlier, or "La Dermiere Nuit" (don't let the title fool you, it's in english), if you haven't already, or check out my profile in LJ for my newest complaints (yeah, right). You can also check my list of recommended fics (I really need to update that thing) on my profile page. Or whatever.**

**Review, if you want me to put Sora in a pretty dress for Christmas! Better yet, review to see Leon in a tux! ;)**


	8. Allegria

**Allegria**

December was slightly depressing. Not just because the end of terms and all the practices were killing every attempt at birth of holiday cheer in her soul, but also because she was pretty much left out of all of it.

Sora reminded herself that it was what she should have expected. Mia had a family that lived a few miles away from Birmingham, so going to visit had been pretty much a given that she would go visit. However, when her mother heard that she had friends who would be on their own on Christmas, she immediately extended her invitation to all of them. Anna, whose mother lived in sunny California, jumped at the opportunity.

Layla and Sora had declined though. The former, being the daughter of an important man, had been roped into attending more galas, social outings and parties than she cared to count, and the latter, having gotten a big part of the student dance workshop, had to stay and practice. Neither seemed particularly saddened by the idea-Sora wasn't Christian to begin with, and Layla had grown up being alone on occasions like Christmas or her birthday. The strawberry blonde had absolutely refused to listen to her roommates' sputtered apologies on behalf of mankind and every sad occasion that had turned her father into a workaholic idiot.

"Happy family doesn't come as a given." She had said sternly the first time they tried to be nice to her "You can't have a test that would determine whether you'll be a good parent or not, you can just make the most of it."

There was no doubt that she had coped marvelously with the situation, but it was a little more than obvious that something bothered Layla seriously…something no gifts or social events could fix.

May had originally planned to stay in Oxford, supposing, no doubt, that she and Ken would have a lovey-dovey holiday together. However, when she had found out that he was going to go to America to be with his family, she had flown into a fit of rage only she was capable of. She'd yelled, thrown things, accused him, cried, and then yelled again. How could he do this to her? Why didn't he tell her? Why couldn't she come with him? What did he mean they were only together for a couple of months? No amount of persuasion, proof, heartfelt declarations or pleas for forgiveness could soothe her anger. She didn't care if he hadn't seen his parents and his sister for a year, that his ticket had been bought six months in advance, or that there was no possible way he could manage to get her on a plane.

Poor Ken had found himself absolutely clueless about what he ought to do! Luckily for him, May's mood swings were instantaneous and she was quick to forgive him after having lots and lots of make-up sex with him.

Sora could account for the whole scandal because, unfortunately, it had happened in the room next to hers while she was trying to fall asleep after a tiring day.

In the end May took up the offer of Mia's mom too. Her own family, while numerous, was very far away, and she, like Sora, had settled on sending them presets and promising to call on Christmas morning.

* * *

So far, so good. Nothing really bad had happened. Just a small fight, nothing major. It was actually normal for a couple that was still in the honeymoon period. Yet, no matter how much she tried to convince herself of that, Sora found herself thinking about that occurrence more and more.

Today wasn't any different. Practice had been brutal-Dio had called in sick and she had some other guy substitute for him, and the choreographer had been less than pleased with them. He'd constantly stopped to correct them, and a full minute couldn't pass without him asking, pleading, begging them to work better than "that". "That" was a word often used by directors and choreographers in that tone that usually conveyed their opinion that you were pathetic. Madame Pinot, who had surveyed the practice, had sighed with exasperation throughout the whole thing and ended up saying something along the lines of _'Why did you bother auditioning when you couldn't do it?'_

Leon hadn't been any better either. Apparently, he had gotten up on the wrong side of bed today, and her arriving late had done it in for him. Fifteen minutes into their session and he had set his pencil down and told her that this would be enough for the day. Honestly, she was the one who was supposed to be feeling grouchy and yet nobody even left her be angry because they lashed out on her first.

Sora found herself taking a cut through the park and pausing at the frozen playground. Christmas was nearly there, and yet she couldn't find any bit of holiday cheer in her. Not a speck. She could attribute it to her whole damnable day, but she knew it was something deeper than that. Once more, her thoughts drifted towards May.

She had come back home after seeing Ken off at the airport quiet…deadly quiet. Sora should've known this was a bad sign, but as usual, the storm had to break out before she tried doing anything against it. May hadn't even looked at her before storming up the stairs. Sora, being her usual caring self, had tried seeing what's wrong and had followed her up, hoping to help her friend in some way. However, she stopped dead at the door when she heard May gasping, choking on her own sobs…muttering Leon's name.

The scarlet-haired girl didn't know what shocked her more-that even after two months of being in a happy, functional relationship with a great man and she still wasn't pleased, or that Leon had really hurt her that bad.

Sora couldn't bring herself to go inside and comfort her, not after having heard that. Instead, she'd gone to her room and moped alone until she was able to go downstairs and keep her face on.

Sometimes, she didn't know how or why, a feeling of dread settled over her. It would creep in, pull her down, and strangle her for hours and hours…an everlasting agony, one she couldn't put an end to…Guilt, fear, anger and something she couldn't quite pinpoint were weighing down on her and honestly, sometimes she just wished she could get rid of them somehow. Talking to her friends would do nothing but make them hate her. She knew Mia and Anna-they never kept secrets, and May would certainly make it look worse than it was.

But what could she do? Leon gave her nothing but mixed feelings and she could do nothing about it…He said their relationship wasn't like the one he had with May…did that mean it wasn't sexual? If she told him that she wanted him (not that she ever would, but hypothetically speaking), would he tell her she was getting ahead of herself or just shrug and give into the opportunity to fuck her? Wouldn't that be the ultimate revenge against May, against Sora, to mess with her head so bad she couldn't tell up from down?

Whatever she did, she still found herself between the hammer and the anvil, and no option was better. And now she had to deal with this too…

Of course, nobody makes plans to fall in love. Ken never expected to have a girlfriend at this time of year, so he couldn't have been prepared beforehand. But May hadn't been planning to break-up with Leon either. As immature and unreal as it sounded, she must have had some hopes that they would be together longer. That their relationship would outlast any other. That she might turn out to be the love of his life, the one who made him forget all the others. Didn't they all want that? Didn't Sora want that?

And now May was alone and broken because her dreams had gone wrong…How could Sora still do what she was doing? No amount of assuring oneself, no amount of reason could hide the fact that she was lying to her friend, and that made her feel horrible.

* * *

Sora managed to snap out of her foul mood for long enough to get to the house. Once there, she hurried past the living room and climbed the stairs, before entering Layla's bedroom.

"Layla-san, sorry for being late!" Sora called, immediately shimmying out of her coat and hurrying over to help the strawberry blonde struggle her way into her gown for the night.

"Thank you, Sora." The latter sighed as she took a greedy gulp for air, and adjusting the creation of taffeta and sating over her body. "You know, I had an epiphany here-we play Barbie when we're kids to know our way into these things."

"Barbie?"

"Never mind."

Since the girls had gone away, Sora had been the only person who could help Layla get ready for all the social hullabaloo. She never complained-Layla always had a selection of beautiful dresses ready for such occasions, and it gave her pleasure to just see them. Long ones and cocktail ones, shimmering ball gowns and frilly party dresses, everything she might need. And because she went out every night, Sora had pretty much seen her in all of them.

"You're so lucky, Layla-san…You get to wear such pretty things…" Sora sighed dreamily, as she tightened the form-fitting corset around her friend's body. The blonde just shrugged and smothered the wrinkles on her lilac skirts.

"To be honest, Sora, I would much rather go around in jeans and sweaters all day long." She said "You oughtn't be jealous."

"I'm not jealous…" the redhead pouted "Just…ever so slightly envious."

"Yes…ever so slightly…" the blonde rolled her eyes dramatically and turned around to look at her, her face desperate "But there is nothing to be envious of. I put on these clothes, don a coat of make-up and go out there to play a role. That's how it has been since the beginning and that's how it will always be. I am feeling degraded by the fact that I am nothing more than a pretty face there, but it's not something I can escape, not now…" Layla's smile turned wistful "That's why I like my man. He likes me best when I'm wearing nothing and lets me act just as I see fit."

Sora's cheeks heated when the realization sank in and, with embarrassment, she found herself with a very unexpected mental image. She suddenly imagined herself wearing nothing, and instead of Layla's boyfriend, the man who was watching her was…Leon. _Now where did that come from?!_

Her face was all but burning off with embarrassment, not only because the obvious ridiculousness of the idea. Sora had had very little, almost no experience with naked men, and she was definitely not going to get there, not with Leon, not ever. If the rumors floating around him were true, he got more booty calls than anyone on campus (his as well as hers), and she was definitely not hoping to verify that.

The first and most important reason was that no matter what, Leon had been May's boyfriend and fucking him at any point of time would feel as a betrayal.

The second was that he didn't even view her in that way.

The last was, unfortunately, that she didn't want him to see her sorry excuse of a boobage…

Woman, thou art one vain thing…then again, if vanity was going to help her protect her self-worth, she would become as stupid and as self-absorbed as…as…anyone! The fact that she couldn't even become properly angry was a whole different story.

"Sora, are you ok?" Layla asked. The redhead paused, looking up at her friend, and she suddenly felt her mask crumple. The tears stung in her eyes and she knew they were seconds away from falling. Not wanting to embarrass herself more, she bowed her head and hid her face in her hands.

Layla didn't know how their conversation caused such a vehement reaction, but she knew Sora well enough to know that she never cried without a reason. The girl was so sweet and caring, she would never burden anyone with her problems, let alone use her tears as a way to get them to feel compassionate. As much as she hated to admit it, even she resorted to a tear or two to get her beau to do what she wanted, but that was a wholly different situation. Whatever happened to Sora must be bad.

Without saying a word, Layla gathered up her skirts and sat on the edge of her bed, drawing Sora to lie down next to her. Gently, she stroked her hair, while the sobs escalated and then died out. The redhead didn't look up when she spoke: "Layla-san…do you think I'm horrible…for what I'm doing with Leon?"

"Of course not!" the blonde shook her head "Why would I?"

"Because I haven't told May…and because…I'm…attracted to him…" the last part was said so quietly that Layla had to take her time to realize what had just been said. When she did, a little frown appeared on her face.

"Sora, you two aren't doing anything…intimate, are you?"

"No. But…" oh well, might as well come clean about this "Sometimes, more often than not….I find myself wishing that we were."

Her friend was quiet, and Sora immediately shot up in the bed. "Please, don't hate me!"

"I'm not!" Layla exclaimed, surprised "I'm just trying to process things." She took a deep, calming breath, before eyeing the younger girl sternly "Sora, does Leon know…about how you feel?"

The latter gulped, before answering in a small voice "No. But…"

"But?"

"He gets weird from time to time. We talk, and suddenly he's quiet…We're silent, and suddenly, he's looking at me…I don't know how to describe it…" she sighed "Our drawing sessions are becoming shorter and shorter, and he suddenly freaks out whenever disturbs us. He honestly worries me-from time to time, I_ think_ I know why he's like that, and then he's just….different. It makes me feel like I'm imagining things, and this is stupid because I usually don't imagine things." She paused to take a breath "I just don't get it, Layla-san. He…he said he didn't think of me in this way, when I got worried about May…but that's the problem. I'm not sure I don't want him to."

Layla started twirling a lock of her hair, while trying to remain composed as she analyzed it. "Do you love him?"

"What?" the redhead blanched "How should I know that?"

"I wouldn't know that. But let me tell you one thing…" the blonde looked at her dead in the eye as she said this "…In spite of what you know or may think you know, sex can be dangerous. If you want to fool yourself that you can go through it and come out unscathed, fine, but don't try putting that theory into practice. It's an emotional train wreck, no matter what."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sora asked weakly

"What do you know of Leon, for certain?" Layla asked "What have you heard that is not some fleeting rumor, or an impression you've gotten while he was still with May? You can't even tell if you're in love with him. Please know that I am your friend and I will support you no matter what, but you ought to know whether or not you love him or you just want to get back at May."

"Layla-san, I would never…" she paused "What makes you think I want to get back at May?"

"Look at this situation from the sidelines for a minute. May and Leon are together, Leon does something and May breaks up with him. You bring over Ken, a boy who was not your boyfriend, but who might as well be one, and May steals him. Not once does she offer any sort of apology or show regret for what she did, but if you got together with Leon, you would have virtually done the same as what she did with Ken. You, however, are conflicted and hurt and emotionally exhausted from the whole affair, and, as much as it pains me to say it, are angry at May for being able to do what she does without feeling any sort of emotional remorse."

Sora bowed her head. She wasn't ashamed, mind…not from her desires anyway. But it was mortifying to know that her inner rage with the Chinese girl could be seen so clearly.

"From my standpoint, going to Leon, having sex with him, would be just like giving May a lesson…a taste of her own medicine, if you like…" Layla continued "That's why I'm asking you if you love him…I'm not saying that she's wrong or you're right, but if you had feelings for him, you wouldn't have a reason to feel so guilty or conflicted. In essence, desire has nothing immoral about it. It's us humans who make it all so difficult." The blonde waved a hand. "As a person, I don't know enough of Leon to tell you if you should proceed or not, but please don't have sex with him just to piss May off. It will backfire horribly."

With that, she got up decidedly and left in a flurry of lilac skirts and rose perfume. Sora stayed up all night, pondering over the meaning of that conversation. Layla didn't come back until morning.

* * *

Leon had called her for another one of those ridiculous fifteen-minute sessions they'd been having lately, and she had steeled herself for another session of clipped conversation and weird glares. She was slightly surprised when Leon suggested a walk in the cold park, but didn't have time to voice her concerns.

The day was gorgeous. The dark trees stood out in the blinding whiteness of the snow, and the decorations hung for Christmas and New Year sparkled against it like lost fireflies. Even though it was bound to snow again soon, the scenery was more beautiful than the loveliest, clearest days of the year. Sora couldn't even pinpoint why, but she liked it best when the weather was borderline bad. The light was weak and unflattering, but somehow it made her feel happy to be out with Leon on days such as these. Maybe it was because he didn't look so damn perfect…it reminded him that he was human…a man, and she was a woman…and that maybe, just maybe, something good could happen between them….

Just then she realized what date it was.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Leon!" She announced. The man in question gave her a blank look

"Christmas isn't until tomorrow morning." he finally replied. "Why are you congratulating me?"

"Well…" She flushed "Probably because I won't see you? Surely you have plans…" she actually expected him to have already gone to France and see his friends and family. It seemed right. Leon, however, just rolled his eyes and continued their stroll.

"I don't."

"You don't as in you don't have plans or you don't as in…"

"I don't as in I don't celebrate." He said "I go light a candle in the church, but that's about all I do."

"Why?"

Leon gave her a hard look and Sora recoiled, wondering if she'd pushed him too far "I have no reason for that. Christmas is a family holiday." Something in the way he said it made her wonder what happened to him. However, instead of pressing for information, she flopped face up on a patch of fresh snow and started waving hr hands and legs around energetically, trying to make a snow angel.

He glared at her.

"What do you think you are doing?" Leon finally asked

"Drawing." She grinned widely. "What? Not only you can do it!"

"May I remind you that you won't be able to get it done?" He asked "There are always handprints when you get up, and your feet ruin the bottom with all the shuffling they do."

Sora stopped and pouter, taken aback by his apparent hostility. Then, however, Leon did something she wouldn't have believed he would do. He walked up to her, stopped a little before the outline of her angel, crouched and extended a hand. She blinked a few times, trying to figure it out, and then grinned and grabbed a hold of it. With one strong pull, he hoisted her up on her legs and took a step back, giving her enough space to turn around without disturbing the print she'd made.

"I'd say it looks like a masterpiece." Sora looked up at him, eyes gleaming. Leon blinked a couple of times, before letting her hand go and saying quickly:

"I should say it's a good first try." Then he hurried to take his leave and scurried away. She sighed-she was never going to understand men.

* * *

Twenty chocolate cookies and a long shower later, Sora was on the floor of her room, stretching and going through the different parts of her dance in her head. There wasn't going to be another practice session for another week, which was supposed to be a blessing for her, but now she was finding herself in a need of a distraction more and more. Leon's mood swings were starting to give her a whiplash and she was almost willing to consider him bipolar. She'd seen him pop medicine on more than one occasion, usually with the food he ordered at the store, but she'd always thought they were vitamins or some sort of coffee pills…

And that was why she was now working out like crazy. Because the excruciating muscle pain and exhaustion that came with the aftermath were preferable to pondering over every single little thing that he did.

Just as she was in the middle of lifting her leg next to her ears, there was a knock on the door and Layla peeked in.

"Sora, can I ask a favor?" her face was slightly flustered and her eyes were gleaming with excitement. The girl blinked and nodded, setting her foot down to look at her friend better.

"What is it?"

"I have accepted an invitation to go to a gallery showing, but…well…" her cheeks flushed

"Your boyfriend wants to spend the night with you?"

"I really want to be with him…" Layla admitted "We've barely had time this last month…it isn't anything big, and nobody is expecting anything from me…but could you go? I'd hate the invitation to go to waste."

"But, Layla-san….I can't do that…" she said, uncertain

"Why not?"

Oh, she could think of a couple of reasons. "Well…ugh…There are many things I say, but…I don't even have a dress for such an occasion."

"I have plenty." Layla waved her hand and grabbed her by the hand "Let's go pick one."

"But it'll never fit!" Layla was much taller…not to mention she actually had boobs.

It turned out that she had just the outfit for the job. Before Sora could even think about protest, her friend quickly fished for stockings and shoes, and started to do her make-up. "Nobody will care if I don't show up. If anyone asks you who you are, tell them you're an escort. They won't bother you then." The blonde explained as she applied foundation and mascara with the speed of light, and before Sora knew it, she was mumbling words of thanks instead of objections. Before she knew it, she was packed under a warm coat and ushered into a cab, with just about enough money for a ride back and a decaf.

As the car pulled to a stop before the gallery, Sora felt the butterflies in her stomach throw a full-blown can-can, and she had to take a moment to compose herself. Then, standing up and walking inside, her senses were assaulted immediately with the heat of the air, the blast of color on the walls, the crash of people…

"Good evening." She nearly jumped out of her skin and whirled around, surprised to come face to face with no other than…

"Leon-san!"

* * *

**A/N-Yes, I know, I promised Leon in a tux, but this chapter became honestly huge, and I'm travelling tomorrow. So, Merry Christmas everybody! Have a great holiday!**

**Review and I promise to fix Leon's tux for the next chapter.**


	9. I've Got Life

**I've Got Life**

If this was a joke, then it was a very distasteful one. Karma was not good to her, probably because she spent a little too much time fantasizing about him. Really, of all the parties that took place all over town, what were the odds of them even being at one, let alone running across each other?

All these thoughts ran through Sora's head as she stuttered a greeting at her handsome employer. As always, Leon looked positively stunning, even though his attire was absolutely simple. She suddenly felt unreasonably awkward, and even though Layla had assured her she looked great, now she wasn't so certain. Oh, God, why was she suddenly so hot?!

Leon's eyebrows shot up. Now why was she looking so uneasy? "Are you here to take a look at the paintings?" he asked, hoping to lighten up the mood

"The paintings?" Sora blinked "Did you have paintings on display here?"

"Yes." He answered curtly "Two, in fact. Would you like to see?"

He had to make a concentrated effort not to smile at the eager expression on her face, and in a burst of courage turned and offered her his arm to lean on. Sora blushed, and she looked confused for a moment, and then shyly wrapped one of her arms around his elbow.

Instead of feeling better, Sora felt as if she was going to start hyperventilating anytime now. Everyone seemed to be staring at her. Several times, she slacked her pace, fully intending to break a run for it and hide in the restrooms, but Leon was having none of that. Whenever she seemed to become confused or scared, he tightened his arm around her and led her a little more forcefully. She didn't know whether to thank him or be mad, and then they stopped at a row of paintings and her mouth immediately went dry.

"Leon-san…"

"Yes?" he blinked when she let go of him and moved to stand right between the two that were his

"Are those yours?" she whispered, absolutely floored.

"Yes." Leon nodded, standing next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "How did you know?" he asked, genuinely curious. Sora flushed.

"Oh, that…." She looked at her feet "Well, I went to a gallery once and I saw one of your paintings…I guess I remembered the style."

"You did, did you…." He hummed, strangely pleased. Sora focused her attention on the paintings. His name wasn't there, but there were titles.

_Band Aid_….A boy and a girl in the middle of a crowded square. She was sitting on the edge of a large water fountain, he was kneeling in front of her and kissing her bruised knees. Both looked startlingly young, yet terribly mature. Their clothes were demure, no different than the people in the background, but they stood out, strangely, inhumanly beautiful. Sora couldn't put her finger on it, not quite.

_Past Time_…A girl sitting on the swings with a book in her lap…now this she could recognize, Sora thought. She'd caught glimpses of herself while she worked in a mirror, and she recognized the posture-the hunched shoulders, the crossed ankles…But there was also something she hadn't noticed before-the wrinkled nose, the focused look in her eyes, the way her head was bowed, the slightly parted lips….She couldn't tell what she looked like when she read, but suddenly she understood why Leon needed to sketch her face so much. Everything was in a great close up, and in such a vivid detail that she couldn't imagine how he could've gotten it done in one go.

Both girls looked like her, in a way, although the hair color was a little off. Still, she was surprised at the extent Leon had studied her features and had managed to age her so well. She didn't look more than…ten or twelve in the first picture, and not a day older than sixteen at the second. It was incredible. The pictures were fresh, exciting, delicate…and very much Leon. There was a hinted sensuality in both of them, but…nothing perverse or wrong. She felt so relaxed….

Looking at him, she also noticed the expression on his face. He never looked so wistful.

"Leon-san…" he looked down at her immediately "These are beautiful."

"Yes, well…" he huffed "I must admit that I did rather well. The event organizers gave me hell because I didn't want to put them up for sale…"

"But you have to. Isn't this the purpose?" Sora blinked

"As embarrassing as this is, I must admit that I loathed the idea of parting with them. In the end, we reached a compromise." He mumbled as he led her to look at the other pictures. Strangely enough, the people staring didn't frighten her as much as they did before.

"You got to keep one?" she asked, throwing a quick glance at a rather banal landscape

"Yes."

"Which one?" curiosity was getting the better of her, and she blushed when he looked down on her again

"_Band Aid_." Leon replied immediately.

"Oh…." Well, that was curious. She would've thought that if he didn't want some stranger ogling her, he would have chosen to keep _Past Time_….On the first picture, she was hardly recognizable, and it was overall much more innocent and childish that the second one…

_Get a grip, Sora_, she chastised herself, _don't you get it. He uses this as just another example to show you that he doesn't see you as a sexual object. More like…a kid sister. A girl he could speak his heart to without any emotional problems. The fact that you have hardly had a heart to heart with him is not a point. He doesn't think of you as a woman. _

Her eyes stung with angry tears and she pushed them back rapidly, along with the vengeful thoughts. Wasn't this what she wanted? Wasn't this for the best? She was dramatizing over the fact that May would hate her if she found out that Sora was with Leon, yet she didn't welcome his assurance that nothing inappropriate would happen between them? Where did this get off? She couldn't have it both ways-she could either keep strictly professional (or friendly, depending on the semantics), or she could try and get into his pants.

The latter option was going to result in the complete obliteration of her friendship with May…and probably the ones with Mia and Anna, because they wouldn't forgive her for not telling them. Hell, even Layla would disapprove of her double standards. Not to mention the strain it would put on whatever relationship she could have with Leon if this happened.

Everything pointed towards one answer…then why was her heart pointing towards the other?

Sora wasn't silly. She knew that essentially, she wasn't afraid of the emotional train wreck that a relationship would cause, but of the fact that she could end up alone.

* * *

"Sora…" his voice floated towards her and she looked up to his serious face "Are you alright?"

"Yeah….just a little…dizzy…" She mumbled weakly, as she straightened up. Without blinking, Leon quickly led her through the crowd and suddenly….they were alone.

Sora blinked, surprised at the sudden darkness. She could still hear the people talking outside, but they were no longer in the ballroom, but in a sort of a corridor. Stakes of light shone marred the gloom, but she was suddenly feeling much better. Curious, she looked at one of the stakes and realized they were cracks in the wall, showing the room from inside.

"Leon-san, what is this?" she asked, baffled "Was this an original part of the building?"

"No. It was an idea. We put up cardboard walls around the room with cracks in it, creating a sort of a secret room. We hung the paintings on the cardboard walls, and when the party is done, we'll take them down again. The idea is to re-create the feeling of ancient times, when the noble houses and castles were littered with secret passages and peepholes." Leon explained, his voice dropping to a secretive whisper. Sora suddenly flushed, remembering the last time he spoke to her in such a tone. The situation was eerily familiar to the one in the library-the air was heavy in the confines of the darkness, and her skin tingled with their proximity. The way she was looking at the ballroom was almost like her looking at the exuberant couple too-sure, they were merely socializing, not doing anything inappropriate at all, but somehow, her observing them without giving them a chance to glare at her in return made her feel like a voyeur.

"Is this a part of the display then?" she whispered, her throat dry

"Yes, but we didn't tell them that." Leon replied "It's the charm of things…chancing upon this, or have it shown especially to you."

A new blush reached her cheeks and pulled away from the crack, panting slightly. For some reason, the image was more erotic to him than anything a woman had presented him with in his life, and he fought the urge to reach out and touch her. She was troubled, obviously, and his advances wouldn't be welcome.

"Can I sit here?" she looked at the bench and without waiting for an answer collapsed on it. "It's those damned shoes…" she explained, reaching down to shimmy out of them and stretch her sore feet a little "I can't get used to heels."

Nodding, Leon made to join her on the bench just as she was bending down to inspect the damage on her toes. He froze in mid-pace as he took in the picture in front of him. Her hair was escaping the bun it was pulled in, her skirt was spilling in each direction, and one of her legs was crossed over the other so that she could see better…It reminded him of a Degas painting, but there was something else to it as well. The lines of her body were smooth and perfect without any adjusting, beautifully flowing from one into the other. His gaze traveled down the neck, passed the shoulders, the pine, and swooped over the arches of her arms and legs right to the small toes and fingers.

It was such a beautiful model, he thought, finally gathering his wits enough to sit down next to her and look at her better. Sora finally straightened up and met his gaze, flushing once more.

"This is…" she began, gesturing unsurely around herself "Really something, Leon-san. I never expected to see something that amazing."

"You enjoy yourself, then?" god, he hoped she did.

"Yes. And the paintings…." She sighed "I can't even begin to describe them. It's…like opening your eyes after being in a dusky room for too long. Everything, the color, the shapes, it invades your senses and…I feel almost disorientated. It's absolutely breathtaking." Finally, Sora gathered the guts to look at him "Is it like this with all of your models?"

"Not always." He replied evenly "Most of the times it's a torture. When I draw you, though, it almost comes naturally."

"Do I…remind you of someone?" Sora asked, genuinely curious this time

"You could say that. The painting I kept for myself…it's a childhood memory of my sister and myself…but I used you as a model." He finished softly.

"I remind you of your sister?" she blinked

"Yes. You have…a lot in common. You're both very innocent, but very perceptive. Shy, but bold. Willing to go at great lengths to do what's right. There are a lot of similarities…" he paused "And differences."

His words were almost indistinguishable at the end, and she wondered for a while if perhaps she was pushing him too far. She'd never known he had a sister…Now that she thought about it, she'd never heard anything about his family before. As eloquent as May had been in her descriptions of parties and other social outings she'd accompanied him on, she had never mentioned a word about his parents or his sister. What was more, Leon had never mentioned them to her. It made her wonder what had happened, and, after a little hesitation, she decided to try her luck a little more.

"Where is she now?" Sora asked

"She died." Leon replied curtly, looking out the crack in the wall as if it was a window to another world.

"I'm so sorry…" she hurried "I shouldn't have…"

"If I did not want you to know, I would not have mentioned Sophie in the first place." He replied "I'm not clueless, Sora, I know that sometimes, statements provoke questions. If you don't want a certain question, you don't provoke it."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt stupid. God, he'd just been talking about being careful what you provoke! Ack!

"No, I wouldn't." He looked at her, curious "Why would you say that?"

"Ugh…Because you've dated most women?" she suggested, wishing the ground would open and swallow her whole. Leon seemed to think about it for a while, and then shrugged casually.

"I'm not so sure. My…former relationships weren't so much about personal comfort as to…other things."

"Such as?" Sora's face was blazing red, but somehow, she forced herself to sit this through. Her plan was crazy and genius at the same time. He wasn't going to get her this time. She would make him talk about himself, be brutally honest and clear. He had no problem with that around her. And when he did, she would see the true face of Leon Oswald, the one she had witnessed all the time before the fallout, the one she knew that was his true face, the one she could hate. Once she demystified him, getting rid of the stupid longing would be a piece of cake.

Leon didn't fail her expectations. Giving her a long look, he let a smile tug on his lips and he explained in a low, raspy voice "Such as gratification…physical release. Love is a very selfish emotion, Sora, in spite of what you've heard. Although giving is fine, receiving is even better…." He paused "Or so I thought."

"Oh?" very intelligent, Sora, her inner voice rolled its eyes "You didn't use them then?"

He got up so quickly she got afraid he would walk out on her. Instead, he motioned her to follow him through the corridor, almost to the door. Once there, he got their coats and instructed her to wait for him a little. Confused, and utterly humiliated, Sora wrapped her coat around herself and wondered briefly if it wasn't better for her to make a run for it now. Although, he really didn't seem mad.

* * *

Suddenly, a black Mercedes pulled over in front of the building and Leon opened the passenger door for her. She got in quickly, and seconds later they were speeding through the streets.

"I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to take this conversation somewhere else. I really am not in the habit to discuss my personal business at a public function."

She opened her mouth, and then closed it promptly. Was there really a way to argue with the guy? "I didn't mean to insult you. Really. I know we're not on the best of terms, but…"

Leon pulled up in front of some curb and turned around in his seat to look at her "Alright, I've had enough. I've been drawing you for what, three, four months? All this time I've been feeling there is some animosity-don't talk back, please-and you're either tense or angry around me. Obviously there are some issues that we'll need to discuss, but let me get one thing straight-is it because May or because of me that you're so angry around me?"

"Wha…I'm not angry!" she nearly shouted "Leon-san, you…I…I'm confused…" she finally mumbled

"Why?" he asked her, sternly

"Because…because you're never consistent. Nothing is consistent. May is fine, most of the time, but sometimes she breaks down and I don't know what to do. I feel guilty, and your constant reassurances aren't making things better. Furthermore, how exactly should I act, when you obviously used my friend and then made something that not only caused her to break up with you, but also to traumatize her in such a way she _still_ doesn't want to talk about it? What am I supposed to think?" she asked, completely frustrated. Leon regarded her for a while, mouth opening and closing silently, his eyes wide with disbelief and…something she couldn't quite pinpoint. And then he did the strangest thing in the world.

He laughed. Not a devilish chuckle, or a dry ha-ha. He threw his head back and gave a full-blown, deep laugh that completely took her aback.

"So May still hasn't told you?" he cracked up again, trying desperately to calm down. Oh, sweet God, this was too much "I never would have pegged her for such a persistent liar."

"Leon-san, this is getting a little too confusing." She glared at him "If May doesn't want to tell us, isn't it obvious that you hurt her?"

"Oh, I hurt her alright. I hurt her pride." He finally straightened up and looked at her, amusement twinkling in his eyes "Sora, do you know the reason why my relationships usually don't last long?"

"Because you're proud and you don't understand their needs?" She ventured. Leon flinched, just barely, at that comment, but recovered quickly

"Will you believe me if I tell you most of them end it? You see…" he started the car again, visibly more relaxed now "When I enter a relationship, I confess, I do it mostly for my own benefit, but I always make that clear to a woman. To May as well, I made sure she knew where she stood before we…stepped up a notch. It's her own fault if she wants something more…if she imagines something more. Do you understand?"

Imagine something more? Did he mean that he was letting women think whatever they wanted to think as long as they didn't act on it? Wow. Just wow! And here she was thinking he didn't encourage heartbreak. Although, now that she thought about it, it did make sense that May never let him speak to them. They would've seen he was nothing like the man she described him to be. Still…

"So May went ahead of herself, thought about some stuff, you disagreed and you broke up?" she asked, looking for clarification

"Almost." He nodded, before they reached their street "Is anyone…"

"No. Mia, Anna and May are all out of town. I think Layla-san is with her boyfriend." Leon nodded and pulled over in front of their house. "So…" Sora pressed "What exactly did you do to burst her bubble?"

Amazing…that woman made it look like something bad. Knowing that this would come sooner or later, Leon just shrugged.

"I asked her to marry me."

* * *

**A/N-*whines* Sorry guys. This chapter took forever and I have to tell you, I've been feeling as if I'm on an emotional rollercoaster as I wrote it. I'm not totally content with it, it's an infodump and overall not what I wanted. It's the curse of a Leon in a tuxedo! Eeek!**

**So, in honor of his apparent curse, I won't chance anything. I'll rely on your good grace to leave me a review, although I can't promise a treat or a quick update (end of terms. I suck at math. I have huge history exams. Enough said). Instead, allow me to offer a little question to you.**

**Have you ever liked a guy you (literally) know nothing about? There is this boy in my class who is very nice, but also very, very shy. And who, in spite of all my attempts at conversation, doesn't seem to think it necessary to talk back at me. Honestly, I don't know whether to like him or be annoyed. I don't know if I like him or not because I know nothing about his tastes, or his character, and he damn well doesn't want to tell me anything. *whines again* An emotional rollercoaster indeed.**

**Finally, a song suggestion. The chapter bears the title of a song by E-Type of Sora, titled "Sora's got life" and can be found on youtube. Also, I'd like to recommend a vid titled simply "Leon Oswald" with the song 'Only if I' by Kate Ryan (it has Leon hanging upside down on the picture, I dunno why). Those songs energize me and remind me why I love Kaleido star (the first one especially), and I hope you guys like them too.**

**What else? I hope you had a great time on the 1st!**


	10. Behind Blue Eyes

**Hello, everyone! Only a two day delay from my usual uploading time, yay!**

**I'm sorry to say though, I've been experiencing a bit of an author's block lately, so as a result, the chapter came out a bit rushed. I hope some of my original thought was salvaged. **

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews of the last chapter, I hope we keep this up ;). flare-hugs, I don't know about La Derniére Nuit, but I'll do my best to try and upload the story. **

**The title song for this chapter is "Behind Blue Eyes" by Limp Bizkit, and I would say that it fits pretty well with what's coming up. The general reaction to the last chapter was a group WTF, and the frequently asked question here was: "Why would Leon ask May to marry him?" Well, read on, I've tried explaining it to you best in this chapter...as well as getting some movement into this story.**

* * *

**Behind Blue Eyes**

Holidays do strange things to people. The super extra spare time makes you think about things you never really think about, make evaluations, make promises. To Sora, it was even more complicated because her companions for a few days were her toe shoes and a pint of ice cream. She worked out as much as the house allowed, but she couldn't stop the angry thoughts coming at her with full force.

Her mind ran circles, round and round, like a merry-go-round, or a haunted labyrinth, drawing blanks, reaching dead ends, coming empty and more tired after each try. She wanted to scream with frustration as the same questions came popping out, again and again, until she was forced to look at the facts.

_Leon hadn't left her after he dropped the bomb, although she wanted nothing better than to run and rest her aching head. Instead, he had continued to drive, making large circles around the city and the neighborhood. That night, he had said more than he had ever said since they knew each other, and he had made it clear that she better listen because, heaven forbid, he wasn't going to repeat this again._

"_You…you asked her to marry you?" she stammered as soon as she found her words again. Leon let a small smirk and started driving again._

"_Do you understand now why she doesn't want to tell you about why she broke up with me?" Amusement laced with his words as his eyes remained trained on the road. "You would think it bizarre, as you obviously do now, and she would be forced to spill the beans about everything."_

"_But…if you didn't…and she did….and…what?"_

"_Sora, when I enter a relationship with a woman, I make it clear to her what I expect from it. Yes, I don't stop her from imagining things, but I don't encourage her to either. You can't accuse me of dishonesty here."_

"_But…but why did you…do you want to marry her?"_

"_Now? God no!" her glare made him chuckle, but he kept his face straight "No, Sora, I did not. Never did and never will." His eyes darkened for a moment, but she didn't try to decipher why. _

"_So what would you have done if she accepted?" she felt her anger bubbling up to the surface "Laugh and say 'Just joking' or something?"_

"_She would not have. Saying yes to such a proposal would be like willingly agreeing to marry a stranger. Do you think May is capable of this?" Since she didn't answer, he continued "I was not the only one benefiting from our friendship, you know. May was pleased when she came with me to functions and meetings because it made her feel important, and she had made up an imaginary character for me that would suit her little fantasies. It's fine pretending when the guy wants nothing from you. It's an entirely different matter when he asks you to marry him. Getting serious makes you realize the ditch you have gotten yourself into. I am not some stereotypical sex deprived man, or a brooding artist-there is much more about me than she imagined, but she had efficiently deprived me of my own personality so that I could fit in her frame."_

_Well, that made slightly more sense. But still…._

"_May knows that I'm a complicated person, but never bothered to find out. She preferred to hide in that fantasy of hers. Do you understand now why she panicked and broke up with me?"_

Oh, she most certainly did. But it didn't excuse him for being so cruel. He probably wouldn't have remembered May (or her) if she hadn't rushed out to slap him. The notion that she was this forgettable, this disposable, made her feel sick. Sora didn't tell him that, though. When he had dropped her off at her place, she told him that she needed more time to work on her routine and her studies. Leon had understood immediately what she had wanted, but had pestered her to 'give him a call' when she was free.

She still hadn't. And the problem was that she couldn't even talk to Layla about it.

* * *

The holidays ended, the girls came back, and life resumed its course. May became less of a drama queen when Ken came back, and the two went out of their way to show each other how much they had missed the other during their separation. No more sobs were heard, at least not by Sora.

Anna and Mia passed to see her a few times at practice, and even Layla came by to say hello. With her getting more time, she more or less moved in the practice rooms and worked out as much as possible. Dio was there more often than not, but he liked to joke that if she practiced more she wouldn't be able to take her toe shoes off. She didn't want to think how right he was.

In spite the hours and hours she put into practice, there was still something to be expected. Around the middle of January, the choreographer, Mr. Allan, called her into his office for a 'chat'. Dreading what was to come next, Sora half-joked with Dio to send a squad looking for her if she didn't come out in fifteen minutes.

"Please, take a seat, Sora." Allan said as he poured himself some coffee. In spite of the fact that her feet told her to bolt for the door, she calmed herself down and went to sit on one of the chairs. Allan went to face her and for a minute or so inquired after her health, her studies, her job…she was all but calm when he decided to go for the kill.

"Look, Sora, I asked you here today to discuss your performance. Now I know what you'll say, that it's still early, that there is still time, that surely you will reach your full potential and all that. I know! We chose you for this workshop because we saw you have what it takes…" Allan paused for effect "However, these last few weeks, your work has not been satisfactory. Tell me, what is your motivation to participate?"

Sora blinked "Because I love dancing, and because this is what I want to do."

"Yes, but you don't seem to show it. You have a long way ahead of you. I just wanted you to know that." Allan gave her a sickeningly sweet smile and placed his hand on her knee "This is for your own good, Sora. Do you…"

"I understand." She shot up like a Jack-in-a-box, nearly tripping her chair over. It worked-his hand withdrew "I'll work harder from now on. You can count on me!"

Thank God, Allan didn't put his hand on her knee again, although her training sessions, even with Dio's help, became like a morning drills at a boot camp. The days were long and hard, classes and practice passed in a blur, and she was always home, with both her feet and her heart aching. On several occasions she pulled her phone out and scrolled down the list of contacts, found Leon's number and debated whether to call him or not. She was definitely in no mood to stand still for a couple of minutes, let alone pose for hours, but somehow she felt like his presence could make it better.

But she always ended up turning her phone off and drowning her sorrows in ice cream, while she thought about all the dead ends in her life.

She needed to be in the workshop. More importantly, she needed to be out on that stage-if she wasn't, it was very unlikely she would get a job, and she couldn't have that. Sora wasn't stupid-she knew the choreographers could be mean asses, and this one especially. She just had to keep working hard and make sure he didn't kick her out. However, the nerves and exhaustion were taking their toll on her, and she was literally dead on her feet. She needed a distraction.

* * *

At the end of the month, an opportunity came for her, straight from heaven. Mia got an invitation to one of the best writer's seminars, held in Paris, France. It was fancy, it was big, and very few people got a chance to go there. Unfortunately, due to the bad weather and even worse post services, she got the invitation very late, and she realized that the deadline for signing up and arranging all the matters coincided with one of her exams. She couldn't miss it, but she couldn't mail the stuff over the Internet. That's when Layla suggested they got someone on the train to Paris and do the signing up for her.

The dubious honor fell square on Sora's shoulders, one, because she was free that day, and two, because her French was better than anyone else's. The plan was that she took the fast train in the morning, did all the signing up and booking, and then took the last train home. In order to do that, Layla helped her pack up and drove her in the wee hours of the morning to London, so that she could be the first one in line. Of course, she was tired and sleepy, but she was mostly excited for the mini filed-trip she was getting.

Of course, even the best laid plans fail miserably and theirs wasn't all that different. First, the trains were late and a lot of time was wasted on trying to clean up the mess that happened with the snow blocking the rails. Then, she had to wait another hour just to get on the right train in the subway. And finally, there was a huge line in front of the office she was supposed to go to, because obviously Mia hadn't been the only one who got the invitation late.

It was hardly what she expected, especially when the woman who did the registration couldn't seem to understand Sora's explanation that no, she was not Mia Gillian, she was signing her up. It took a few goes, and by the time they were finally done, the redhead was too tired to even contemplate sightseeing.

But the worst part came when she got back to the ticket's office and discovered there were no more tickets for the train to Longon.

"_Comment_?" How? How could they not? It was past New Year's, nobody traveled. The lady behind the counter gave her an apologetic shrug and suggested she try again in the morning.

And that absolutely did it. She couldn't go home. She was stuck in Paris, and she couldn't believe she didn't feel the smallest tint of happiness over the fact. Because other than money and some food, Sora had brought little for her stay, and now she couldn't even begin to contemplate how she was going to go through this. A hotel was always an option, but one look at the bills in her wallet told her she couldn't afford a room in the dingiest place around there.

Which left the railroad station. Sora inspected the waiting room, and breathed a sigh of relief-it wasn't too bad. There were no homeless men or drunkards lurking around, so she could probably crash on the benches and wait it out. She could afford a good book and some coffee to get her through the night, and one sleepless night wasn't that much of a trial.

* * *

After successfully convincing herself of that, Sora decided to get out for a little walk, get some fresh air and call her friends to tell them she was coming tomorrow. It wasn't all that bad-she could relax and actually see the city. And there was practically no way for her to get lost, she reasoned, because the Eiffel tower was always brightly lit, and, like someone had said: "The only way not to see this monstrosity is for you to be on it.". It would be her compass.

As she walked down the street, she couldn't help but notice the way the lights and shadows danced around her. It was always like this in a new city, before you know the neighborhoods or anything. It was new, and it was terrifying. Sora had to take a deep breath in order not to panic, when the tower disappeared behind a building. It was ok. She was going to see it soon. And she still remembered the route to the train station.

But then footsteps echoed behind her, and loud voices called. She couldn't make out the words, but somehow, she didn't have to. She sped up, hoping to turn to a more crowded street and lose those guys, but behind her, someone broke out into a run. Before she could run too, or scream, though, a black car she knew too well pulled over next to the curb and a door was thrown open. A rough voice she could've recognized anywhere barked: "Get in." and she jumped inside. She barely got the door closed before Leon was speeding like crazy through the streets.

Sora didn't know how, or why, he had been there on that street, or why this felt like a re-enactment of Twilight, but she couldn't care less. In a minute the worry, the frustration, and dare she say, the guilt that had been haunting her for the last few weeks disappeared. Leon hadn't changed one bit, she thought, but then again, should she have expected him to?

"Tha…"

"Don't." he cut her off, before settling his lips into a firm line, before he exhaled slowly "I'm sorry. I'm not doing this right."

"Oh?"

"I should have asked you if you were alright. And then perhaps even said a hello."

"Well, it's more of a good evening." She smiled "You needn't have worried for me. I was fine."

"Yes, of course." He turned his head towards her, letting out a small smirk "You must be perfectly fine if you were about to break into a run." He paused "You look like you saw a ghost."

"I was…I'm fine." She tried to calm him down "I'm not sure if there was even a danger….you could just drop me off…."

"Alright." He nodded "Where are you staying?"

"Err….well…"

"Is your hotel nearby?"

"Actually…" he stopped at the red light and turned around to look at her, eyebrow raised "Umm, you could just leave me at the railroad station."

"I'm sure I could find it." he suggested, and then his eyes widened slightly at the realization "You are staying at a hotel, right?"

"Well…I'll be crashing on the benches, so it's almost like a hotel…."

Leon's eyes widened with disbelief and his jaw dropped slightly. Then he shook his head quickly. "I must have misheard, did you say you were going to sleep in the train station?"

"Err…" Yes, no, yes, no, yo, nes! Say something! Lie! Tell the truth! He'll know! "I did."

"You did as in you said you were staying at the train station or you did as in you were actually intending to sleep there?"

"Well, both, I think." She mumbled, confused. Leon's expression faltered, probably for the first time since she knew him, and he looked completely flabbergast. "Leon-san?"

Suddenly, he swiveled the car into the other line, sharply. Sora squeaked as she was launched left and right by his crazy driving, until he suddenly pulled to a stop. "Leon, for Kami's sake, are you trying to get us killed!" She nearly yelled as her heart hammered into her throat. Leon was out of the car before she could start ranting again, and suddenly, her door was flung open.

"Get out." He ordered. "You're staying in with me."

* * *

It turned out that Leon had come to sell some paintings into town and he had booked himself into a hotel. It was one of those places where the food is expensive and people don't bat an eyelash if you called in three in the morning to order a chocolate soufflé. Therefore, they were not bothered at all when he told them that another person was staying with him and that he needed a bigger room. Nor did they stare at Sora strangely when he led her through the lobby, with her little bag slung over his shoulder.

As for her, she was so pissed she couldn't even speak. First he showed up with no warning, then he acted like a jerk, and finally he dragged her off to some expensive hotel without even asking her. Sora really, really wanted to give him a piece of her mind…but she had learned that screaming and lashing out had absolutely no effect on him. Silent treatment, on the other hand…

"Would you like to use the shower first?"

…didn't impress him all that much either.

She just glared at him. Leon glared right back. Then he just shrugged "Then I'll go in first. We're not going down for dinner, but there is a room service menu next to the phone, just pick out something for the two of us and tell them to put it on my bill."

"Why are you doing this?" wow_, Sora, you just earned the Patience Reward_, her inner voice said, rolling its mental eyes

"Pardon?" Leon turned around to face her, his hands casually in his pockets. He looked like the epitome of relaxation, like some sort of predator….waiting to pounce…and she was the cornered rabbit. She was sure she was, her heart was beating_ that_ fast….

"Why bring me here?" She asked "I don't need….I mean…we're not working together now, and we…er…I would have been fine on the station."

"Yes, of course. Alone on that station at night with all kinds of drunkards and suspicious characters running around-how safe!" he said, mocking. She thought about telling him that she didn't feel much safer around him, but decided against it "And if you really insist, we could work." He gave her a sinuous smile "Now, are you sure you wouldn't like to use the shower first?" She considered it for a second, and then ran into the bathroom.

* * *

The rest of the night passed in relative silence, but it was painfully obvious they weren't done with the bickering yet. Leon was fine with it-when he had seen Sora at the function, when she had asked him about his girlfriends, he knew there would be more than one things she would disagree with. Hell, he wasn't exactly proud of his accomplishments in that field, but the difference between the two of them was that Sora wasn't willing to let it go that easily.

"I forgot to ask…" he said when she came out "…what you wanted for dinner."

"I don't want anything." She said quickly looking out of the window quickly. Leon's eyebrows rose as he took her in.

"Have you eaten anything?" he was positive he had heard her stomach growl several times on their ride there. Sora seemed to debate over her answer too, so she finally shrugged.

"That's not relevant. I don't want to eat." She said, hoping as hell that he would drop it. He didn't.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" she looked at him, and searched her brain for ideas "It's past six. I shouldn't eat. My body wouldn't process it right."

"I'm sure this assertion would require a closer inspection, but you don't look like you would have a problem." He said, as his eyes swept over her svelte figure "Besides, you dance every day, you burn thousands of calories. You don't need to worry about your weight."

"I appreciate your kindness, but if I indulge more my partner is going to need a crane to lift me up. Besides…." She bit her tongue

"Besides, you feel wrong about accepting this?" Leon was pleased to see the color drain from her face and patted himself on the back mentally for reading her so well "Why don't you just tell me what's eating you? I'm sure you'll feel much better when you let it out."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sora crossed her arms

"Yes, you do. Let me tell you how I see it-I told you everything that happened between May and me, you didn't like it that your friend is so shallow, and you decide that it's best that you don't see or talk to me, because if you do, sooner or later there will be a blowout, am I correct?" she was silent "I think I am. You're still afraid of what your friends say."

"What's with that 'still'?" she snapped, unfolding her hands and placing them on her hips. Briefly, her self-preservation instinct came out, but it was pushed away by anger "My friends are my friends, Leon-san, no matter what they are. It's not my place to judge them."

"And yet you judge me."

"How can I not?! I barely know you!"

"That makes no sense." He replied "Wouldn't it be better that you judged someone after you knew them, instead of jumping to conclusions? After all, that's how the legal systems in most countries work." Leon smirked, but overall, he looked mildly amused instead of angry. Sora was fuming, but couldn't say anything. Slowly, he stalked across the room from her, while she started retreating. Her back was flat against the cold glass of the terrace door, and he still advanced until they were inches apart. She could almost smell him, a mixture of mint and cologne and…

"I think you're repressed." He continued, his face and voice betraying nothing "You're never sad or angry. People rely on you. You never burden anyone with your trouble, and you cannot say no. Your friends come to you for advice or just to let the load off, even when you can't do anything. It upsets you, but you can't do anything about it. You want to argue, and since I'm not your friend, you don't mind arguing with me. Even if I get angry at you, you wouldn't agonize over it because I'm not someone you rely on." His voice dropped down to a whisper as he leaned to whisper in her ear "But, Sora, you seem to have misjudged my character. Even if I am angry, I rarely show it."

"So why keep up with me?" she mumbled miserably. Feeling her eyes water, she dropped them to the floor immediately. Leon's hand came up and twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers, before tugging her face up towards his own with it.

"It's one of the things that make you such a good model." He replied, dead serious, before putting a little distance between them "It's also one of the things I would like to draw most, but right now I don't have the right to ask you of it."

"Why?" she asked weakly

"Because what I did upset you. And because what I have in mind requires your complete trust, and you know very well, Sora, that you don't trust me, not one bit."

Sora pursed her lips, before mumbling quietly "It's not that I don't trust you. I'm just…"

"Tell you what, to make you feel better, you could be here as my employee. We could work a little after dinner." He replied calmly "Come, they'll deliver dinner shortly."

"I'm still not hungry." She said

"I don't care." He gave her a triumphant look "You work for me, so I'll tell you what to do. Right now I want you to have dinner and then rest."

"But…."

"Contrary to popular beliefs, Sora, I don't think a fit man would even need a crane to lift a woman up. Furthermore, I will not draw some skeletal woman. You will eat."

* * *

Later that night, after dinner and taking a shower, Sora had dowsed off on the couch while Leon was doing some sketches. Her drifting into unconsciousness hadn't phased him much-in fact, he had found it easier to draw her when she wasn't fidgeting around nervously. He fetched her a blanket, before resuming his place on the fauteuil next to her and picking up the pencil.

After a while, though, he set his sketchbook on his knees and rested his hands on it. Then, he went to dim the lights after seeing they bothered her.

It was…interesting watching her sleep. When she had to be the most relaxed, her muscles still tensed from time to time and a frown creased her features, betraying that there was still something that bothered her. Leon pursed his lips as he saw her jaw clench and unclench, and her body turning restlessly on the couch. Suddenly, he thought his suggestion that she stay as his employee really stupid, because it meant she couldn't take the bed. Maybe, if she had, she would've been more comfortable.

With a sigh, the painter went to grab another pillow for her, determined not to push their boundaries any further tonight. It had been an exercise in control for him as well, and he was pretty much proud of his accomplishments this evening. However, the small bubble of pride burst immediately when he remembered how he had gotten here in the first place.

After he had dropped Sora off, he had told himself that he would wait. He was well aware that she was going to need time to think, but ultimately, she would come to him. He was sure she would. She would need money, at the least. The last thought left a bad taste in his mouth, but if this would bring Sora to him, so be it. Lately, he'd been doing enough things that would have been frowned upon, and yet he didn't consider them below he had waited. And she didn't call. By the middle of January, he was at the end of his patience and he decided to call the one person in that house who could at least listen to him.

To say that he was surprised that Layla picked on the first ring was an understatement. It was 3 AM, for Christ's sake. Perhaps he should have waited for a more decent time, but he didn't have time to wonder because when Layla explained the reasons for her being up so early, all he could think of was: "Is she out of her mind?" Before he knew it, he had his paintings in his car and was speeding towards the highway.

Of course, he hadn't lied when Sora asked him why he was in Paris. Leon had promised those paintings delivered to his agent overseas ages ago. He had just not had time to send them, so he decided to make up for it by delivering them by hand. And he did happen to spot her…after driving around the train station for an hour or so…Essentially, he told the truth.

But how much longer was he going to last? How long until he could settle for just drawing her? Of course, he was going to drive her back to Oxford, whether she liked it or not, but he didn't expect the car ride to bring them any more insight on the whatever-relationship they had than the months he had spent drawing her.

* * *

In the early afternoon of the next day, Sora came back in the house and was swarmed again by her friends. The trip had been fine. Yes, she had done all the booking. Yes, she had made sure everything was alright. No, it wasn't so bad; she found a place to stay. Yes, she had gotten them postcards although there hadn't been much time for sightseeing. Soon, she was left alone and she ran upstairs to take a shower and change. Before going into the bathroom, she punched a text for Leon on her cell, thanking him again for the help and telling him she would be available to pose for him in the morning.

However, when she came out, she was surprised to find May in her room. Just as the redhead was about to crack a joke about knocking, her friend looked up and the expression on her face was deadpan scary. Sora immediately felt worried, wondering what could have happened to ruin May's mood in such a short time, when her eyes fell on her cell phone in her friend's hand and suddenly, it all became clear. There, on the display, was a message from L. O., saying _"You're welcome. I'll be waiting for you at 9.30."_

* * *

**A/N-Da-da-dummm! Evil cliffie! But at least we're getting somewhere with the plot. I dunno when I'll be able to upload again, but it'll probably be another infodump. **

**Be dears and leave me some sugar everyone. Promises on the next chapter? Well, I'm still afraid of the curse of Leon in a tux, so I will not invoke him. I think he's a little pissed that he's not getting any *Leon glares* Eeek! Ok, ok, I'll type the chapter, I will! **

**Your reviews get me warm enough to counteract Leon's chilly stare!**


	11. The Brid and the Worm

**Hiya! It's a miracle, isn't it, I uploaded on time. It's hard to believe, and yet it's true. **

**I can't promise how fast the next update will come, but thank you for the wonderful feedback. Theme song: The Bird and the Worm by The Used.**

* * *

**The Bird and the Worm**

Sora felt the blood drain from her face when she realized what May was holding, and what she might be thinking. The initials could belong to anyone, but Sora probably hadn't been the only one who had been debating whether to call Leon or not these last months-she must've seen the number and connected the dots. God, what was she going to do? What was she going to say?

"Sora?" the black-haired woman gasped "What does this mean?"

Suddenly, with those five words, something snapped. Just…it was almost like a switch had been flipped and Sora found herself feeling quite…fed up. Here May was, standing in _her_ room, going through _her_ phone, while she was there in a friggin bath towel with her hair dripping wet in the middle of January…and _she_ had the audacity to hold her responsible for a text message?!

"May, this is my phone." Sora said, and had the pleasure of seeing the girl flinch, taken aback. _Wow. I guess Leon is rubbing off on you_, her obnoxious inner devil said as it was making faces at May. "Please give it back to me."

"But this is…this is Le…this is his…." She began

"May, it's the dead of winter. It's cold, and I've just gotten out of the shower." Sora pointed out calmly "This is neither the time, nor the place to discuss this. Please give me back my phone and go downstairs." When she opened her mouth to protest, the redhead cut her off quickly "Please! I will explain everything when I'm not prone to catching a cold."

May opened and closed her mouth, before tossing the phone on the bed angrily and stomping out of the room. Sora closed the door and leaned on it, squeezing her eyes shut until it hurt, trying to convince herself that this didn't just happen. No use. She could hear May shout something downstairs, and Mia's sweet voice trying to calm her down. Damn it! _She must've drawn her conclusions already_, Sora thought as she frantically ran for the wardrobe to throw on some clothes. Her hair was still damp from the shower, but she contented herself with just squeezing most of the water out of it and combing through it quickly.

She had to get down quickly and explain. God knew what May must've thought, and what she was feeding Mia and the others right now. Sora almost ran down, and was half-startled, half-happy to find only Mia and May in the living room.

"May…" she began, but her friend held her hand up

"No. Not yet. If you're going to talk, you better do it in front of everyone so that this is over with."

"But…" she was about to say that there was nothing to tell, when May snapped

"Listen, Sora, I really am not ready to listen just yet." She huffed, glaring at her pompously. Luckily, before Sora could snap, Layla got down from her room, looking confused as hell as to what all the commotion was about, and Anna walked through the front door.

"Hi, guys." The latter grinned "Did you come to greet me, my princesses?"

The humor was met with dead silence. Sora was looking at her friends' faces, trying to determine exactly what the damage was and how to proceed. May was furious, of course. Layla looked confused, but there was a crease to her brow, suggesting that she had heard snippets of conversation from her room. Anna was oblivious, and Mia was glancing from Sora to May with a worried look on her face, as if she had heard something strange and she was trying to determine whether to believe it or not.

"Anna, sit down. Miss Layla, you should do that too." When the two grudgingly complied, May turned to Sora, who still stood on the stairs, frozen like a statue, unbidden to join their circle like a dog that had just ruined the carpet. "Alright, Sora, now explain. I want to know why, when and how long exactly have you been fucking Leon?"

Sora's jaw dropped. Offhandedly, she noticed she wasn't the only one. Anna and Layla were sporting similar expressions of shock, and Mia was looking at her earnestly, like she was praying for her to contradict it. Luckily, Anna reacted first.

"May, what the hell are you talking about?" she said, jumping to her feet immediately

"I'm saying that our little Miss. Innocence here has been screwing my ex for enough time to set up dates with him over the phone!" May yelled

"Look, I don't know what antidepressants you're on right now, but I've had enough of this." Anna snapped, and even Sora was taken a little aback by her friend's outburst. She glanced at Mia, who was now looking at the exchange between them, and by the looks of it, she was rooting for Anna "How long have we been friends? Two years, even more! And we've been through much more than one little breakup without going through such fights!

"We've all been patient and understanding with you, because Leon did hurt you, and we swallowed all of your scenes and overreacting because you deserved to be left alone. But don't make up stories and blame them on us, especially on Sora, who hasn't even hurt a fly since she's been here."

"Fine, but I am not making up stories!" May snapped "Sora just got a message from Leon, one that settled a date for them tomorrow morning. See her phone if you don't believe me."

"I don't have to look at Sora's phone to know she hasn't done anything wrong." Anna replied, and Mia jumped in the conversation

"Guys, please let's not fight. I'm sure this is some sort of misunderstanding, isn't it, Sora?" she turned around, begging her wordlessly to contradict this and get this thing over with. Sora felt her eyes water, both at Mia's earnest desire to settle things and Anna's selfless defense of her, knowing that she will let both of them down.

"You're right." She replied, not really addressing anyone, until she turned towards May "I have been seeing Leon, but there is a misunderstanding." The faces ranged from shock through triumph through confusion to acceptance. She didn't want to know which was which "I…"

"I don't wanna hear it!" May yelled, bolting for the door. But before she could get there, Layla was blocking her path, all five feet nine of perfect blonde.

"_I _don't care if this is too hard for you to swallow." Layla's voice was deadpan serious, and she looked ready to drag May by the hair and sit her on the couch if she wouldn't comply. Luckily, the latter did as she was bid, but not without throwing Sora a venomous glance. "Alright, Sora, carry on."

"Like I said…" she licked her lips "I _have_ been seeing Leon, but not for what you think it is. I ran into him some time ago when he was looking for a model for some pieces. He said that I would be a fitting model, and I wanted to take some of the edge off from my parents, so I took the job. I have been seeing him for an hour or so a few times a week, but…" she emphasized on the last word, looking at May like she was daring her to speak "Nothing inappropriate happens between us. Most of the time, I just hang around the park at the time of the meeting and he draws me from afar. We barely spoke." Although it sounded perfectly respectable coming from her, Sora knew that she had to mind her tongue unless she wanted to lie. Layla knew that too, and by the approving look on the blonde's face, it seemed like she was doing well.

"So let me get this straight…" May began "You know he's my ex….hell, I think you even slapped him at some point when we broke up" _Yes_, Sora added to herself, _a little something I would have to apologize for later on_ "You know who he is, you know what kind of reputation he has, and then one day he breezes in, tells you you're beautiful and graceful and perfect or some other bullshit, and you just accept? It's just…perfectly fine, because he offers you money?"

The conversation was actually making her cringe. Sora didn't avoided looking at May in the eye, because if she did, she was probably going to lash out._ Do it!_ her inner voice cheered, _Snap at her! Tear her to bits! She has no right to belittle you like that! _

May was upset. May felt betrayed. May was her friend. But she was also acting like a PMSing bitch, just because she couldn't cope with one relationship like an adult! Moreover, she was cheapening what she had with Leon just because her own relationship(s) had been about nothing but profit. What she had with Leon…it sounded so alien right now, and yet so familiar too. He wasn't her lover, but he was much more than an employer. A friend? It was a strange word, especially when there always seemed to be a double entendre behind his words. Yet…yet she felt strangely protective of this relationship, when she would've been embarrassed a few months ago.

"This isn't it." she replied "Leon isn't like that. He just said he needed a model, and told me to call if he was interested. There weren't any pretty words or wooing." Was it wrong that she felt the teeniest bit of pleasure when May visibly paled? _Obviously, she took great pleasure in treating you like crap minutes ago!_ The fact that she had contradicted her version of Leon was only half of it-he really hadn't tried wooing her with empty promises or worthless lies. Sora realized with surprise that he hadn't really told her the reason why he wanted her to model for him, not until the other night. And it had had nothing to do with her looks.

"Well, you see, it's all a misunderstanding." Mia smiled, relieved "May, you shouldn't be suspicious. Leon sleeps around so much, he probably receives slaps nearly every day. It's perfectly possible he didn't remember who Sora was…"

"That may be true, but Sora remembers who he is!" May roared, jumping on her feet "He's a dirty, horny, cheating bastard, Sora! He will break your heart, no matter what he tells you or lets you think! He will make you cry, and yet you offer yourself to him because he has money!"

"I did not! I told you, it's perfectly appropriate!"

"You're my best friend, you have no business with my ex!"

"He is not such a bad man!" Sora exclaimed, exasperated "In the times that we've talked, he has not even once tried to seduce me!" well, there was that time in the library, but it was a turn of circumstances, nothing more "He is a very calm, articulate man, and if all of you gave him a chance, he would prove that he is a good person."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" May yelled "And what was this thing about his 'pleasure'? What, he did a service for you and tomorrow, you're paying him back?"

"It's another sketch session, nothing more!" her lungs were running out of air "He is merely taking a long time, but he hasn't tried seducing me. Furthermore, he has helped me on more than one occasion." As soon as the words came out, she regretted them. May narrowed her eyes

"Helped you? Don't tell me he…that you were with him in Paris?" oh, God, no "You were! You lying little…"

"I swear to God, I didn't know he would be there!"

"You were supposed to go there to help Mia and you decided to flee with him?! You lied to us!" May was now yelling so loudly that the neighbors were probably on standby with water glasses on the other end of the wall "So what did he do, Sora? Told you the lights could not compare with you and then asked you to take off your clothes so that he could draw you naked in front of the Eiffel tower?" she mocked, and at that moment Sora actually had to grip the rail and bite her lip, lest she actually punched her friend

"No. He actually saved me from getting robbed or raped or killed or both." She snapped "He also saved me from such a fate at the Halloween party, during which everyone was drunk and stupid!" May flinched, obviously feeling the impact of those words. But then she recovered.

"How dare you turn this conversation towards us?! You're the one going behind our backs to just get your jollies with Leon!"

"That's enough, May." Layla stood up, effectively standing between the two girls "I know that right now you're confused and hurt, but Sora has been your friend for years now. Not once has she been dishonest or mean to you. You have no reason to disbelieve her when she says nothing happened between her and Leon."

"You're not judgmental. Did you know?" May asked

"It is not my place to judge Sora's actions, nor question her motives. And yes, she did tell me when he first asked her. I was the one who suggested she do it to help her parents out. She was more than reluctant to do it, and she has been conflicted about telling you guys about this since the beginning."

"Obviously, because she knows it's wrong."

"No, May." Sora snapped "I did it because I knew you would overreact."

"Overreact? Me!"

"Yes, you! And while we're at it, why are you even yelling at me!" she exclaimed "I have done nothing wrong, but even if I have, I am a grown person and I can decide what to do with my life. Leon was your ex long before he asked me to work for him, and you've had a boyfriend for quite some time now. Why are you so mad at me, when Leon means so little to you?"

"Because Leon is a filthy sleazebag and you should know better than to meet him. He can't stand on Ken's little finger, a boy who you, I might add, led around like a mutt before I came in, and yet you're turning your back on us, your friends, so that you could keep up with your illusion."

_Hypocrite! _

Before Sora could retort, Layla stood up again.

"Alright May, that's enough. Yes, Sora did lie to you by omission, but she is in no way deserving of all these insults you're throwing at her. Please apologize."

"I will not. And furthermore, I don't want her around either. If she likes Leon so much, let her go live with him!" May yelled "I won't share a roof with a liar!"

"May, isn't this a little too much?" Anna asked a little weakly. Her spirit seemed to have withered since Sora had started speaking.

"No! I will not have them here, I refuse to watch them here, and I refuse to call this liar my friend."

_Who's a liar? Me, or the woman who deluded herself that she was in a relationship just because she got to screw him?_ Sora wanted to say that, she wanted to say that and so much more, hurt May for what she was doing to her right now, give her a taste of her own medicine…but it would be of no use. By retorting, she would sink to her level, and she suddenly understood that if May found it fun to torture people and make them feel like dirt, that she wasn't worth all the trouble.

Layla gave her a severe look, before turning towards May "I don't agree with your logic. Sora has been a wonderful friend to us, one whose loyalty is very hard to encounter. It's not your decision to make whether she stays or leaves, May, but I think it's better we lay off for a while and take some air."

"I don't want to take air. And if you're siding with her, I won't antagonize you, but this is not someone I want to live with." May replied "I'm putting it on a vote. Whomever wants Sora to leave may raise their hand, now!"

May's hand was the first that shot up in the air. Layla crossed her hands in front of her chest stubbornly, while Sora looked suppliantly at Mia and Anna. The former was looking at her lap, completely miserable, while the other was frowning seriously. And then, shakily, Mia's hand was also raised.

Sora didn't have to see more. Thoroughly pissed, she slammed her hand on the wooden railing before raising it as well. "Fine. I get it. If this is how you guys will be, then I don't want to be here anyway!"

"Sora!" Layla chastised

"What's with the sulkiness? This isn't your vote to ruin!" May yelled "We don't need a two-faced liar here anyway!"

"Is this really what you think I am?" she asked, incredulous, looking between her friends with growing horror. Anna still wouldn't say anything, but Mia looked completely miserable.

"I'm sorry, Sora, but…." She hiccupped "It's just that….you lied….and you never lie…I just can't…"

"You've said enough." Sora whispered, the tears already choking her. She turned on her heel and stormed into the room.

For some time, she just sat there and cried, drenching her shirt and her pillow until her body was wrung dry of tears. Then, slowly, she found her old suitcase and started packing her clothes, her books, her point shoes and her leotards, picking up and folding each item carefully as if she was picking up the room of a dead man. She had done this before, once…a long time ago. She didn't know why, but it felt colder than usual.

Nobody came up to check on her. Nobody came to her door, trying to persuade her to stay. When her things were packed, she reached numbly for her phone, intending to call a cab and then check in some little hotel with the money she had, until she could find a room. Just then, Layla came in and shook her head no. The blonde helped her bring the suitcases down and out of the door, and Sora was flabbergasted to find no other than Leon, leaning against his Mercedes, just like he had some months ago in the pouring rain.

His face was a stone-set mask of…anger, disbelief, confusion and regret, but as soon as he saw her, the creases of his brows cleared up and he rushed over the lawn as if there was no chance of May coming and ranting to them again. He slung her backpack over his shoulder and picked up the bigger suitcase, while this other hand wrapped around her shoulders protectively. Her things were loaded in the trunk and she was settled on the front seat, where she had been not three hours prior, and without a word they took off on the snowy streets.

The curtains of her house were all drawn…only Layla's figure stood on the sidewalk, waving them goodbye.

* * *

**A/N-Well, no cliffie here, but think of the possibilities-Leon and Sora together. In a car. In an appartment. Oh, I'm drooling!**

**Now that this icky moment is over, I suppose you guys want to kill me for cutting this chapter short and not giving more insight. I know. I'm not consistent. And yeah, May's a bitch and I loved every minute I spend making her one. She deserves no compassion from Sora, but honestly, would it be worth it, getting mad over such a silly woman? **

**Leave me some reviews, sugars. Leave me some reviews so that I could have something to look forward to while I'm breaking my fingers over at history courses.**


	12. Come Sei Veramente

**Hi, everyone!**

**Well, it's been a while...a whole week. Sorry I didn't update sooner, but...you know me. **

**A little Sora/Leon for you patient folks. Song-Come Sei Veramente by Giovanni Allevi.**

* * *

**Come Sei Veramente**

The car glided soundlessly through the streets, a dark shadow. Much like its owner, it was dark and predatory, dangerous, yet glamorous. Just a few hours ago, Sora had been nervous about even climbing in, and now she was riding it without even looking at the driver. Her body was numb, but strangely…at ease. No more hiding around. No more worrying over whether or not her friends would approve. They had made it abundantly clear that they didn't want anything to do with her, and frankly, neither did she, if they were so conceited.

Suddenly though, she panicked. She was out. She couldn't go back. What was she going to do? Where was she going to spend the night?

The sharp intake of breath she took brought her down to Earth, and she jolted up from her seat. Looking around, Sora became aware that the car had been still for some time. A large hand came over to rest on her shoulder and she turned around to see Leon looking at her worriedly. Once again, whatever voodoo he had on her worked perfectly, she was calm…for a while, that is.

"Leon…"

"Are you alright?" he asked "I barely registered what Layla had to tell me, and then the next thing I knew, I was helping you in the car."

Sora shrugged weakly, and then her expression became sad again. "Leon-san, where am I going to go?"

He pulled away, his face the epitome of calmness. "You needn't worry about that. You're staying in with me."

That was the second time he said these words in the last twenty four hours, and here she was blushing like and idiot because of them again. But this time, he didn't mean a hotel or a room in the library. He meant his apartment. His home. Her head swam and before she knew it, he was pulling over into his designated spot in the garage of a large new building.

* * *

Her bags were retrieved and they rode the elevator to the last floor. Too tired to even try and speculate, she followed him obediently. The only coherent thought in her mind was little and filled with anger-if May was going to hold a grudge against her, she might as well do something to deserve it.

That was as far as her thoughts went on the matter, and Sora didn't really care to expand them, at least until she set foot in Leon's place.

"Well…" he said, kicking the door closed with his foot "I guess I should give you a tour?"

They were in a spacious room that looked like a living-room/dining-room/kitchen combo, completed with cozy sofas, a large dining table with matching chairs, and what looked like a six foot baby grand piano. It was all beautiful and Sora couldn't honestly stop gawking, but it all had a rather sterile, clean shine to it. As if it was taken care of, but it was also not frequently used. The same went for the guest room he settled her in, but that wasn't much of a surprise. She wasn't sure the guy received guests at all. His bedroom, which she just caught a glimpse of, seemed perfectly clean as well.

"This is the final one." He said, pausing in front of a small door. "I….I think I should warn you, it's rather untidy inside." _If his apartment is any indication, that would mean he probably spilled paint on the floor_, Sora thought wearily as she stepped into the room after him.

The first thing she knew about it was the smell of oil paints and dissolvent. Then, when her eyes accustomed to the sunlight streaming through the high windows, she realized that it was a good thing she didn't step any further. The room turned out to be a studio, and a very, very messy one at that.

It was a huge room, probably the largest in the entire place. There was a large cabinet propped against one wall, with a couple of chairs next to it. In front of them was a large easel holding a half-done canvas of a landscape, with a small table containing oil paints, palettes and brushes of all shapes and sizes standing next to it. There were sketchbooks and pieces of paper sewn haphazardly all over the floor, and, whenever there wasn't paper, canvases of all sizes were either propped against the wall or lain over the floor to dry.

Off-handedly, she noticed another sketch of her, lying sideways, with her hair sewn across her face. He must've done this yesterday, she thought as she crouched down to have a better look, while making sure she didn't step on his papers. Leon hurried to gather most of the sketches off the floor and put the room into some semblance of order, but she continued to stare at the picture, completely mesmerized. Yes, she was sleeping, but it wasn't her tired self from yesterday, the one that was worried about the consequences or the implications. Maybe it was him, maybe she was just looking at it with different eyes, but she seemed peaceful and relaxed, something she definitely wasn't a few hours ago.

She was also not sleeping on the couch of the Parisian hotel. Sora narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the faint lines underneath the body, but she couldn't tell. Some of them had been erased repeatedly, as if Leon had started doing something and then changed his mind. At the corner of the painting were strands of grass, but her head was slightly higher than her body, indicating that there was supposed to be something underneath it. And under the fingers of her hand she could make out what looked like fabric. _Oh, my_….

On the other hand, her clothes were done very well. Even though it was just a sketch, his pencil work was so good that she could reach over and touch the fabric. She wasn't wearing a sweater and jeans, like last night, but the dress Layla had given her for the Christmas party. The taffeta skirts were in disarray, riding up and exposing her legs, bend in the knee. She wasn't sure if the corset didn't seem slightly loosened, although she could make out every stitch and string that held the dress up. Sora leaned in further, and nearly lost her balance, but Leon managed to grab her shoulders and keep her from tumbling into the sketch.

"Do you like it?" he asked

"I'm sorry, I didn't ask if you wanted to have your work looked at while it's in progress…" she mumbled

"That's alright. I'm not that superstitious anyway." Leon replied, helping her to her feet "How do you find it?"

"Beautiful, as usual." Sora replied, running her fingers through her hair "It really is something…You did it yesterday, didn't you?"

"Yes. I've had it in my head for a while, but…" he paused "I never really ever had you in such a position that I could draw this. My knowledge of your face isn't all that good." He was lying through his teeth, of course, but she couldn't tell that. She was too busy staring…gawking, more or less. He had drawn her beautifully, giving her that sad air from _Band Aid_, but there was more…she looked vulnerable, as if she was completely and utterly naked, stark and bared for the viewer to see. Her face started to turn red, when she realized this feeling was only going to get stronger when this sketch was turned into a painting.

"Are you going to have this one for sale?" she asked, looking at him. His jaw clenched, but he didn't answer. He looked reluctant.

"I don't think I want to."

Well, now that she was here, they wouldn't need to go to the park everyday to have her drawn, she thought off-handedly. And suddenly, like a bolt of lightening, something from their conversation last night drifted towards her, and, try as she might, she couldn't quite drone it out. _It's also one of the things I would like to draw most, but right now I don't have the right to ask you of it….because what I have in mind requires your complete trust, and you know very well, Sora, that you don't trust me, not one bit._

Suddenly, she understood what he meant, and strangely enough, it didn't make her blush. She actually considered the possibilities…but how the hell could she ask him of this? Certainly, he wouldn't deny her, but the thing was that she would never possibly dare ask him…so maybe take a more subtle approach?

Peeking from underneath her eyelashes, Sora wasn't disappointed-he was looking down at her with a mixture of curiosity and worry. "Leon…" she began "Yesterday…you said there was something you wanted to pain the most…"

"Yes…?" he nodded, clearly confused at her sudden change of subject. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him as calmly as she could, and said.

"What is that?"

"To draw you…without any clothes on." He replied immediately, and suddenly his brain seemed to catch up with his mouth because he quickly added "That is, if you want. It's not necessary. All painters do nudes, but you don't have to, it's not a requirement. I'm actually much better with clothes…" _yes, especially when they're thick and long and preferably bullet-proof_, he thought frantically, but Sora's face remained completely calm. A spark of mischief danced in her eyes and she smiled slightly.

"Can we do it now?" _Context, place it in the context, Leon! _

"Well…there's no reason why we shouldn't." he replied coolly, and she nodded.

"Where should I…." she looked around the room, curious.

"Why don't you go to your room?" he suggested. "There is a separate bathroom, it's very well heated. Why don't you change into a towel or a robe, and I'll come with a sketchbook in a minute."

Sora nodded and left the room, and was it just him or did her hips just sway? The door closed and he groaned, running his hands through his hair in exasperation. What the hell just happened?

* * *

She walked in her room in a daze, before the realization of what just transpired hit her like a ton of bricks. Did she just…_yes, you did, and God help me if you decide to chicken out of this_, her sub consciousness glared at her_, don't be stupid, Sora, you know what's been brewing between the two of you ever since you slapped him. You can't bail on this!_

No, she couldn't. So, dutifully, she went through her suitcases until she found her bath robe, and then stripped out of her clothes, folding each article carefully and putting it away. She would have to unpack, but later. Much later. She gulped, hard, and tried controlling her breathing. Had she worn a bra? Maybe the lines from it would pose a problem? But no, she hadn't worn one-preoccupied with May, she had barely taken a second thought of what she should wear.

A knock. She nearly tripped over her own two legs to get the door opened (although it was unlocked), and Leon stepped inside. He looked….surprisingly professional. Which was rather strange because he wore an old simple white shirt and a pair of black slacks-no shoes, no socks. He had a canvas underneath his arm and some graphite, as well as a rubber. His long hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck.

Sora gulped. Take a deep breath. Don't panic.

"Umm….so, bathroom?" she mumbled.

"Yes." He nodded and followed her.

Surprisingly, the adjoining bathroom was nicely decorated in warm yellow tones. Right across the door was a built-in bathtub with a rim, wide enough for her to sit in comfortably. She turned towards Leon, who looked surprisingly uneasy in the small room, and tugged on the sash of her robe. "Should I…"

"Not yet." He said as he kicked the door closed and placed his materials on top of the toilet lid "Come, sit down." He guided her towards the tub and made her sit down on the edge "I'll sketch you in only one position this time, so we'll have to make sure you're comfortable, alright?" she nodded and crossed her ankles for effect. Leon hummed approvingly, before making her turn with her back to the door (and the rest of the room), and for a while he just debated with her about the position of her hands. Finally, they found something she would be comfortable in. "Alright." He said "You don't have to remove the robe entirely. You can leave it around your waist if it makes you more comfortable."

Sora didn't know if she was supposed to be thankful for it, but she heaved a sigh of relief while she fiddled with the knot of the bath robe. For a second, she was preoccupied with the mechanics of twisting it securely around her lower body so that it covered her up, but left out most of her hips. Then, she put her left hand on the rim of the tub for support while her right gathered up her hair and held it up from her neck. The position left her in such a way that she was half turned and she could see Leon with the corner of her eye. He was sitting on the toilet lid, the canvas propped against his crossed legs. One of his hands was gripping the corner of it, while the other executed fluid motions with the graphite. Often, he would lift his eyes from the sketch to regard her, before dipping his head behind the canvas again.

She tried not to panic. Even though she was practically (and completely) _au naturel_, Leon had chosen a very tasteful pose for her to sit in, one that didn't reveal anything embarrassing. Still, he could probably see her breasts, or the upper parts of them. He seemed perfectly composed, but if you looked closely you could almost tell that the knuckles of the hand that was gripping the paper were whiter than usual.

Sora, of course, couldn't be sure of it. Luckily, the bathroom was warm, otherwise the situation would've been much more embarrassing. However, her mind was running frantic circles. Was this really happening? Was he really painting her? Was he going to do anything else? _If he does, you'll have no right to complain_, her subconscious said as-a-matter-of-fact. _He takes you to his place and you practically offer him yourself naked. Don't be irresponsible. _Sora wasn't even thinking about complaining, but she was curious about how it would happen? Would Leon finish the outline or throw all work away to sweep her off her feet? Would he take her right there on the tiles or would they make it to a room? Or perhaps he wasn't so much interested in sex right now?

Another stolen glance. This time he caught her staring and she focused on a tile instead, blushing furiously. She didn't hear him laugh, but she could swear she saw his mouth twist into a smile before his face got hidden behind the canvas again. Great, now he thought she was pathetic. Really, what did she expect? Leon had probably had dozens of women, in every way imaginable. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise if he did it with the prettier models. And she wasn't all that special. Bony all over, and her breasts were completely nonexistent.

Leon watched the myriad of emotions going through Sora as he drew. Her face may've not been turned towards him, but her body language betrayed it all. The way her muscles tensed, the little movements she sometimes made, her eyes shifting around the room like some caged animal. _Yeah, I feel it too_, he wanted to tell her. He really could. The nervousness, the anticipation, the acceptance.

Yes, acceptance, because though she wasn't sure what sort of a relationship they'd have, she knew they would have it and she wasn't fighting against it anymore. Leon could tell she was scared too, but he wasn't going to let her get hurt. Even if it meant getting really, really uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, trying to calm himself down, and failing miserably. His breathing deepened, his heart seemed to freeze in his chest, yet his blood boiled. At some point, he got worried about damaging the canvas by the way he was gripping it.

And Sora was feeling it too. The muscles of her left arm tensed more often, and it had nothing to do with her pressing her weight on it either. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, almost glazed, and she was taking quick, shallow breaths through her mouth. It was probably the single most exciting sight he had ever lain eyes on, and it took him all he had not to drop everything and put his arms on her, everywhere…..Leon closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath through the nose, before letting it out through the mouth. _Again._ In a minute, he was calm enough to resume sketching.

Was this a common occurrence when somebody is getting drawn, Sora thought off-handedly as she listened to Leon's breaths and the sound of graphite sliding smoothly over the paper. His motions were large, languid, and sometimes clipped and short, but always executed with precision. Sometimes he would dabble with a rubber, but he would more often keep making large, precise strokes. In spite of the heat, she felt her flesh prickle and a shiver shake her shoulders.

"Are you cold?" he asked her, her momentarily unease not going unnoticed

"I'm fine." She tried sounding reassuring "How's it going?"

"I'm at your legs right now." Leon said, looking pointedly at the paper "It shouldn't be too long."

Sora nodded, trying hard not to panic. Was this good, was this bad? Leon seemed to quicken his movements, probably afraid of exhausting her. Or was he worried about it coming off wrong?

Finally, he announced that he was done. Sora heard the rustling in the background, but, her body too tired from holding that pose for too long just gave up and her posture slumped. She rolled her neck to get the kinks out and shook her hands and shoulders, when she suddenly realized Leon was still in the room. Blushing furiously, she put a hand across the chest while the other tried to pull her robe up.

Leon stared at her long, before he gulped and excused himself. Sora quickly dressed and stood up, completely mortified, but surprisingly enough, she noticed that he left his things behind. She took a peek at the sketch, and then took it to carry it to his studio.

He wasn't at the atelier, but that didn't deter her. She left the canvas and the other materials down, before patting to the place where his door was. Gingerly, she knocked and upon hearing his admission, she stepped in.

Leon had just stepped out of his own bathroom, dabbling at his hands and his face with a small towel. His face was slightly flush, but other than that he didn't seem out of control when he greeted her….even if his eyes roamed with a mixture of satisfaction and disapproval over her attire.

"Umm…I carried the things in your studio…" she said "I didn't know where to put the utensils, but, you know, I couldn't leave them in the bathroom…"

"Thank you." He nodded "You could…well, you're probably tired, you should rest."

"Leon…" Sora purposely dropped the honorific as she addressed him "I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be so angry."

He blinked a couple of times. "You think I'm angry?" she shrugged, and he immediately wished she didn't do that, what with her clothing…or lack thereof "I wasn't angry, it's just….well, alright, I am a little angry, but more at myself than at you."

"Why?" her brows knitted together "You didn't do anything."

_Exactly._ "You were chased out of your home and you probably have no friends right now, because of me." Leon said simply, and for a second, she just stared at him.

"You're not…blaming yourself for that, are you?" she whispered. Leon looked away. "This is ridiculous."

"Actually, it's rather pathetic. I spent months convincing you that it would be alright, but when it actually came to telling them, they did exactly the opposite. I was a fool to have thought of May so highly." His voice was angry, but he was looking away from her when he said it.

"Well, perhaps they would've taken it better had it not been so sudden." She tried joking wearily, running her hands through her hair "May saw your text message, and she immediately jumped to conclusions. Then she managed to tell Mia all about it before I could get my clothes on and….err….I…that is….I was in the shower when your message came, May must've walked into the room and seen it. She…er…I tried saving the situation as much as possible, but she had already formed her ideas." Sora shivered

"You don't have to talk about it." Leon swooped in understandingly, but she just shook her head

"It's not the memory. It's just that…it feels so strange. I didn't think she would get that mad either. May's many things, but she's never so delusional." Leon snorted next to her, as he led her to take a seat in the living room. Sora curled on the couch while he shuffled around in the kitchen. Five minutes later, she had a large mug of hot chocolate in her hands, and he was settling himself in one of the chairs, stretching his long legs under the table. She noticed how much more comfortable he looked in this attire, in his home. Even though everything looked pretty unused, he was completely at ease.

"I should've had a word with them." He said finally "I should've talked more to them when I was with…before everything. Maybe they wouldn't have been so quick to judge if they knew me."

"Probably." Sora shrugged "But I'm also at blame. They'd never seen me lie before. True, I lied by omission, but it was a lie nevertheless. It made things even more serious. I was actually mad…May was upset, but her anger too such proportions…it was overblown!"

"What did she say?" Leon asked softly. She gave him a sad smile

"She accused me of sleeping with you." He rolled his eyes "She also said I went to Paris just to be with you, not to help Mia."

"This is ridiculous." Leon huffed "You've been living together for so long now, how could she possibly accuse you of such things? I know you for less than six months and I already know that you're a person who's never backstabbed anyone in her life. She's just jealous."

"Probably. But it didn't feel good to contradict her. If it makes her feel better to think that you're slumming right now, maybe it could take a little of the pain away…." She began, but he cut her off.

"Slumming? When did she say I was_ slumming_?" Leon leaned in, suddenly careful and furious. Sora blinked a few times to remember why she had just said that, and then went through her memory to try and remember her friend's exact words.

"She didn't outwardly say that." Sora said slowly "But she suggested that I wasn't exactly model material." He was looking at her intently, and she sighed. "Her exact words were something along the lines of 'did he tell you that you were beautiful and graceful or some other nonsense like that to make you accept?'." She decided to leave out the part where May accused her of taking money over friends. It wasn't worth the turmoil, and he already looked livid because May said what she had said. "It's not worth getting mad over, Leon. I know I'm not all that pretty. You said it yourself, there is another reason why you wanted me to be your model."

Leon balled his hands into fists. While she was right, how could she possibly think that she wasn't pretty? Pretty was an understatement. Pretty was a given. He'd never drawn an ugly woman in his life, not that he'd really seen one, but for the sake of argument…How could she not think she was pretty? How was it possible for someone who was so selfless, so caring, so _unconditionally_ loyal and good, someone so beautiful on the inside not be even pretty? Good God, he needed to buy that woman a mirror!

"You know what's really ironic?" Sora asked, after taking a sip of the sinuously good chocolate "I spent so much time trying to keep my conscious clear, and yet she accused me so easily for sleeping with you. It made me wish she were right."

"You wouldn't have forgiven yourself." He replied, sitting upright in his chair "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes." She nodded "Leon, I…I really am sorry if I made you angry with my suggestion, it…I…if you…er…don't want us to do it again…or it would be easier for you that I didn't stay here, I will start searching for a place first thing tomorrow."

"Did you…" Leon stopped himself and took a minute to compose himself enough to ask "Did you think that this just now…that that drawing was like the hotel yesterday? A way of payment?" he tried not to glare "Do you want to go?"

"No." She whispered.

"No, you didn't consider it payment or no, you don't want to go?" he asked, impatiently

"Both." Sora swallowed. Leon slowly rose to his feet and walked up to her. Carefully, she set her cup down on the table just as he crouched down next to her, and set his hand atop of hers.

"Neither do I." he said with a small smile, reaching over to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "And just to make this clear, I don't want this for the reasons May seems to have gotten into her head."

Sora let out a slow breath and forced herself to look into his pale eyes.

"Then…just now…you weren't mad at me for…for…" _for taking my clothes off and indirectly proposing sex to you?_ _Or condescendingly rejecting me for doing so?_

"No. In fact, I really like painting you like that." He decided to be bold "But you've had to face a lot tonight and I really don't think you need anymore to think about right now. Right now, you should rest." Leon rose to his feet and helped her up. "And I'll be looking forward to our….next session."

* * *

**A/N-Aaah, the promise of the next session...What do you say people, would you like to bet on how many sessions would it take for Leon to snap? I'm giving him two at most *evil laughter* **

**Thank you all for your kind reviews and your everlasting support. I know I'm a slow one, but I try my best with all that's going on now. **

**How many sessions until this fic earns its rating? Review and let me know!**


	13. Love Is Our Resistance

**Chapter song: Love Is Our Resistance by Muse

* * *

**

Love Is Our Resistance

Leon got up long before his alarm clock went off.

It was a part of the ritual. The routine. He enjoyed being able to get up early and show to himself that he was in control. Today was no different…in some ways. In others, it was plain masochism. He showered, dressed and ate as quietly as he could, just like any other day, but not before he went over to the doors of his guest room and peeked in to make sure that a certain redhead was still deep in slumber.

Sora had been living with him for almost two weeks now and he was both proud and ashamed of himself-proud because he had managed to resist her so far, and ashamed for having to resist her in the first place. Undoubtedly, they had done incredible progress as far as her comfort was concerned, and he was happy to say she was much less uptight around him…but there were also the moments where he wished she was still weary and scared, if not from him, then of their proximity. Living with her had proven to be quite a challenge.

He had been living on his own for so long he had forgotten what it was like-to have someone sleep not two feet away from you, and to have to take that person's comfort into consideration when you took to your daily habits. For example, he couldn't leave the bathroom doors open so that he could keep an ear out for an important phone call, or run straight from the shower to get it because, quite obviously, it would mortify Sora beyond any description. Of course, he could count on her getting it and handing it to him as soon as he was done, but…old habits die hard.

There was also that small, insignificant, teeny-weeny-but-ever-so-crucial detail-_he was attracted to her_. And not just some school-boy crush or one of his usual desires for a romp in the valley, no. He was lusting for her in every possessive, primitive and desperate way known to man. Seeing her do simple things like eating a banana or nibble at the rim of her coffee mug made him edgy, and he had caught himself wondering accidentally through her room to ask her something just as she was about to take a shower…or already had one.

Of course, he managed to control himself. Leon had quickly learned that Sora had a lot of things to do in her life and he was hardly the tip of the iceberg. More often than not, she left the loft earlier than him to go to practice, and crawled home hours after he had returned to collapse exhausted on her bed. Or the couch. Or one of the lounge chairs. Sometimes she had been so tired he couldn't wake her up enough to have her walk to the room, so he carried her there by himself or just tossed a blanket over her.

But she wouldn't admit something was wrong. Whenever he asked, she smiled and told him that it was just the way it was before a show, but he honestly didn't believe her. How was it possible that it had escaped him before-the constant fatigue and the nervousness whenever he mentioned the project she was working on? Something was wrong, and he made a mental note to check it out as soon as possible.

It also meant that there would be no more drawing sessions until she was calmer. Leon wasn't sure how he had managed to resist her that last time, but he was sure that even if she wore a chain mail or another sort of plated armor, he would still want to ravage her senseless, and she probably wouldn't enjoy that. Hell, he wasn't sure she could tolerate his getting up to check on her every night when she told him she had a problem sleeping….and staying with her for a lot longer than he should. And he definitely stared at her more often, noticing the subtle changes in her curves from the different bras she wore…or the lack thereof.

Leon wasn't a pervert. Maybe, just maybe, he was a little more sexually active, but he cared for Sora, a lot, and didn't want to see her hurt. Furthermore, he was a little overly obsessed with the difference between them. She was just so…so…_innocent_….he didn't want to take that away from her, or make her feel any less the lady she was. Not to mention that he was a little overly worried about the actual mechanics of it. Sure, it was going to happen sooner or later, but would it be too much, too soon, if he showed her just how much he wanted her? He was, after all, a well built man, and she was just so damn tiny…just wrapping his mind around this was hard, and he couldn't even imagine any ways to get this done without him causing her any discomfort.

Needless to say, he was also getting thoroughly re-acquainted with his shower.

Yes, he knew that there were….things they could do before they got to…that. Kissing, per instance. Yet even if it was just a simple act of joining of lips, he cowered away from the thought as if by initiating it he would somehow offend her. Honestly, when had he become such a pansy? Was it perhaps because with Sora, every gesture actually meant something for him? Maybe.

* * *

All this make-belief ended one day, near the 14 of February, when he actually gathered the guts to go to the theatre and see how the practice was going. Sora and Dio were up when he walked in the room, and luckily, she didn't notice him taking a seat in the back. It allowed him to see everything, to observe…needless to say that he didn't like what he saw.

Of course, his first concern was the partner, but he was quick to let him off the hook. From the beginning, Sora had spoken of Dio as a person who respected people's feelings and took care of them. In observing them, Leon could only come to the same conclusion-the guy was careful so that he wouldn't make Sora uncomfortable. If only he were gay, there wouldn't be any suspicion, but you couldn't have everything and he was obviously a nice person.

The choreographer, Leon decided, was a complete ass. What kind of artist actually stands in front of the performers and shouts orders like a drill-sergeant every two minutes? Couldn't he let them do something instead of interrupting? It didn't escape his attention that most of the remarks were directed towards Sora.

But nothing, absolutely nothing prepared him for the sight of Sora, in her point shoes, trying to keep up with the demands while struggling to maintain the cheery façade. Even from the back row, he could tell her muscles were tensed to their limit, and that her legs were barely keeping her up. Dio seemed aware of her pain, trying to take on most of her weight so that it would alleviate the pressure, but whatever he did, it seemed like she was at the end of her powers. And that asshole of a choreographer just kept on going and going, bitching about his 'prefect image' while his poor girlfriend suffered.

_Wait…did you just call her your girlfriend?_

_Of course I did, you ridiculous mind, he retorted, haven't I made it abundantly clear to you that I care for this woman more than anyone on this planet?_

_Uh-huh, but did you make it abundantly clear to her as well? Women need more than just actions, you know._

_Shut up!_

_Jeez, you're stubborn. You better fix that._

* * *

When Sora and Dio stopped dancing, Leon took the cue and left the room, opting to slip backstage instead. Not too long after that, the people got down from the stage and headed for the changing rooms, chattering half-heartedly after an excruciating practice. Leon crept in the shadows, observing carefully, looking for Sora…she never came out and he headed towards the stairs in the end of the hallway that led to the stage. Just as he reached the door, he heard the voices.

"Sora, I still wish you would consider putting more _effort_…" the smarmy ass was saying and Leon's body immediately went rigid with alert. "You're a very pretty girl, and…"

"I know, I know, I will!" Sora's voice was high and her speech was so fast the words melted together. It was a pet quirk of hers, one that Leon now knew meant that she was very, _very_ agitated.

"No, I don't think you do. You know, I'm beginning to doubt whether or not it was right to give you that part."

Sora gave a sharp gasp, and Leon decided to make his presence known. Carefully, he called out "Sora?"

There was a little fumbling and a second later she burst through the door, eyes wide and hopeful…and they became even wider when she spotted him. Leon gave her a small smile and she launched herself in his arms, nearly toppling them both over. His inner fourteen-year-old gave a delighted yelp and punched the air with his fist, but the twenty-four-year-old man was far too dignified for such childish displays. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a careful squeeze. "Thank God, I was beginning to worry I got myself lost in here." He said, trying to sound normal. People were peeking out of the dressing rooms to see what was going on and quite a few where whispering. That seemed to get Sora's attention.

"Leon…!" she looked up, suddenly alarmed "What are you doing here? I…I…er…thought you had classes."

"We got off earlier." He replied, taking a step back to give her more space but still keeping his arms around her "So I decided to pick you up and take us home. You don't mind, do you?"

"No!" she looked so happy, he suddenly felt like a jackass for not doing this earlier. "I…I'll just change real quick and I'll meet you outside?"

"Don't bother with the shower, you'll catch a chill." He told her calmly "You can do it at home."

Nodding, she gave one last glance over her shoulder and disappeared in the confines of the girl's locker room. Leon, alone in the hall, finally looked over to the door to the stairs where the smarmy ass of a choreographer still stood, his mouth gaping wide enough to catch a swarm of flies. He knew what that bastard was seeing-the tall frame and wide shoulders, the muscles underneath the elegant shirt and jeans, the obvious masculinity and _power _that his whole presence seemed to give off in spite of the long white hair…he was intimidated.

As he should, Leon thought angrily, keeping his face neutral and calm as he regarded the man. Allan visibly shrank from under his scrutiny and probably regretted the decision to wear that gaudy pink polo today…yuck! Leon didn't let it show, but he was suddenly feeling calmer.

Up until now, this man…this low-life, had considered Sora an easy catch. A girl so earnest in her desire to help and please (and who was, therefore, even more desirable for Leon), that she gave up her own well-being for the sake of others. Leon had already witnessed proof of that when the issue with her friends had been brewing, but none of them had tried taking advantage of her like that. Or, if they had, they never did it intentionally. Allan, however, obviously tried using Sora's selflessness to push her to the edge until she simply gave in.

And yet Leon was calmer, because now that he had come, he had, as Neanderthal that sounds, staked his claim on her, and made it abundantly clear the woman wasn't alone. His inner caveman, of course, roared from somewhere deep in his gene pool, demanding to go on the rampage, but for now, the non-verbal, non-physical assault was enough. The warning was issued-if Sora got hurt, someone was going to suffer. A lot!

In record time, she was out and bounding next to him so enthusiastically he almost forgot she was probably having a hard time standing up. She looked so exhausted, though, he just wrapped an arm around her and casually picked her off the ground, throwing her over his shoulder. "I'm kidnapping you." He said playfully, before walking decidedly towards his car. For the first time in ages, he didn't care if someone dared call him names.

* * *

Once home, Sora ran to have a shower (something she'd been itching to do ever since she saw him in that hallway), and Leon opened his laptop to, finally, do a little research on the subject that currently occupied his thoughts. Still, he kept an ear out for Sora, and as soon as she was done with her bath, he called her.

She patted over to his door and peeked in. "What is it, Leon?"

"Are you done with your shower?" he asked, putting his laptop aside.

"Yeah." She nodded, running her hand through her still wet hair. Leon got off the bed and rummaged his medicine cabinet. Without looking at her, he motioned her to join him on the bed. After a few seconds of internal debate, Sora carefully made her way to the aforementioned piece of furniture and sat down on the edge.

It took him a few minutes to get everything he wanted and he finally looked at her. "I'm not going to attack you, you can relax." He said, patting on the space next to him "Come here, I want to have a look at your legs."

"You don't have to." She immediately jumped in defense "Really, I'm fine, I really am…"

"Sora." It wasn't an order but it wasn't a request either. Once again, she was amazed at the way he said her name, putting in those two syllables all he thought and felt. Accepting her fate, she quickly climbed in and sat Indian style next to him. Leon rolled his eyes and grabbed her legs, straightening them and placing them in his lap.

"I really don't think…" she began, but he was already turning one around, examining the sole and the toes.

"I do. Let me see." His expression became dark as he took notice of the bruises and blisters that seemed to be covering every single inch of her skin. Then he reached for the ointment and bandages he had prepared. "How could you walk with those? It must hurt to simply stand." He noted as he carefully applied the medicine.

"I dress them pretty well…" she mumbled, turning on her belly so that it would be easier for him "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be." Leon replied calmly, as his thumbs rubbed soothing circles in her ankles "It's not your fault that the choreographer is a philandering jackass."

"Leon! Mr. Allan's…a very experienced man…." Obviously, she wasn't too convinced in this herself. He just shook his head.

"How long has he been an ass to you?"

"Well, he's always a little touchy, I…"

"Fine, I'll rephrase." He looked at her dead in the eye "When did he start pushing you too far? And more importantly, did you give him a reason to?"

"I don't think so." She mumbled guiltily, her face going red with that memory of their meeting in his office…of his hand on her knee.

"Well, did he ever outright proposition to you? You know, to take you out on a date or anything?"

"No…" she mumbled in a small voice "He just…"

"He just what?"

"He just…one day he called me in his office to give me a pep talk and…well…he sorta….well, he put his hand on my knee, but that's about it." she chanced a glance at him and immediately regretted it. Leon looked positively murderous.

Luckily, her foot was still in his grip and he was aware that he might cause her pain if he wasn't careful. Sighing reluctantly, he continued dressing the wounds gently. "That's enough for you to press sexual harassment charges, Sora. Instead of pushing yourself so far, you could've just gotten rid of him."

"It doesn't work that way." She shook her head "You know that, don't you? Besides, it's not just Allan. Choreographers, dancers, party directors…many can be mean and menacing and cruel, but it's a part of the whole package. You can't expect to meet only nice people. And…I need to be on that stage. If not, I may never get a job, or I might stay jobless for many, many months…if not years…" her eyes became somber and she sighed "You just have to put up with it."

Leon would have informed her that he would cheerfully support both of them until the rest of their lives, if it meant that she would be safe from harm. But he knew…he knew too well that it wasn't happening. "Hey…" he called out to her "Look at me." When Sora did so, he reached over and took one her hands in his "I know this is important to you…that it's a turning point in your life and you need this big break in order to feel accomplished and happy. Right now, I'm not going to say anything….but this isn't good for you. You're hurt and you're tired…I don't like it one bit."

"I'm sorry…" she pursed her lips "I wish I could also just give it up, but…"

"Just don't push yourself like that." He replied, quickly switching legs "Your routine is great, I've seen it, and you're doing yourself a disservice by pushing yourself too far. You'll snap sooner or later, and Dio wouldn't be able to compensate for the two of you. I'm not saying you should stop going to the practices…" although I would very much like you to, he added to himself "…but you ought to stop pushing yourself. You don't need to practice extra hard, you're already perfect."

"But…"

"As biased as I am…" he rolled his eyes as he finished the bandage and let her flip back so that she could sit up "I'm not blind either. From what I saw, and what you know I heard, it's obvious this has gone way past what is considered appropriate. This is just plain bullying."

"Please don't do anything harsh." She begged, knowing full well what his intentions were…or might have been. Leon shook his head.

"Nothing harsh…but you will promise me that you won't push yourself this far."

"I…"

"Promise." He growled and she had to swallow…hard.

"Yes…I promise…" she mumbled, and he visibly relaxed. Finally, he released her legs and went over to scoop her up and hold her. Sora stiffened, surprised at his sudden displays of affection, but the exhaustion, emotional and physical, was too much for her to handle and she relaxed against him.

It was amazing. Suddenly, every remnant of tension in their bodies evaporated. Sora sighed with content, practically melting against him, while his arms brought her so close there was practically no air between them. For a second, everything-her friends, his issues, Allan, the performance, were all forgotten, and it was just the two of them, on this bed, tangled in a chaste embrace that still somehow made her cheeks burn with pleasure.

Still…

"Leon…?"

"Yeah?" He asked lazily, his hand coming up to stroke her hair absent-mindedly. The locks were so _soft_, he had to weave his fingers through just to get a better feel of them.

"Did you know this is the first time we've really embraced?" she asked, awe evident in her voice. He chuckled.

"Are you saying that if you knew what kind of reaction this would cause, you would've done it sooner?"

"Maybe." She admitted, and almost purred with content when his other hand rubbed her back "Does this mean it'll take nearly six months for us to kiss too?"

He paused, and she looked up at him. Strangely enough, Leon didn't seem angry. More like…flabbergast.

"You want to kiss me?" he asked, as if he was having a hard time believing his ears. Again, he didn't seem angry. Just shocked.

Still, she fidgeted underneath his gaze. "Umm…well, I was just…never mind..." jeez, could she have made a bigger fool out of herself by just presuming?

"It's not that I don't want you to." He replied quickly, almost too eagerly "But…it did come as a surprise."

Sora blushed again and looked away, embarrassed. Leon's fingers curled underneath her chin and lifted her face up until she was looking at him. Slowly, he sat up so that there would be a little space between them, but still without letting go of her. His eyes held hers as his shoulders hunched and he leaned forward, so slowly she barely registered the movement...giving her time to pull away if she wasn't ready. Instead, Sora leaned in as well, breathing in the characteristic scent he always had about him, and before she knew it, his lips were on hers.

Both froze, as if waiting for something to happen…maybe for the Earth to crumble underneath them or for a volcano to erupt. No…no such thing happened.

On the other hand, Sora decided to lean in, titling her head slightly. His lips were so warm and inviting…she sighed quietly. That seemed to be all the encouragement he needed, because his arms wrapped around her and he was kissing her back with all the fierceness a man could muster. Sora didn't even have time to react, she felt like she had been sucked into a storm, and he was both the catalyst and the anchor in it. She grabbed onto him, holding him for dear life as he practically devoured her…and she enjoyed every minute of it. They didn't even bother pulling back for air-when one made as if they were about to part, the other latched onto him more fiercely.

Strangely enough, it was Leon who stopped it. He pulled back, not abruptly, but with just about enough force to make it clear they would need a break. His eyes were wide and surprised as he took in her appearance.

Her cheeks were flushed in the color of her cherry hair. Her eyes were wide and awed, and her mouth was slightly parted. She looked disheveled and gorgeous and absolutely breathtaking. Leon reached over to trace her lips with his thumb, noticing that they were ruby red and raw from the kiss. How inspirational…her face was suddenly showing such a myriad of emotions he wondered how he had gone on for so long without painting her. And if this was her after just one kiss…

He pushed the thoughts away from his head. Suddenly, he became aware that she was pinned underneath him on the bed and he pulled back, giving her more space to breathe. "I'm so sorry, Sora, I didn't mean to…to…attack you like that." He said, embarrassed. Luckily, Sora seemed to understand him this time, reaching out and taking one of his hands in both of hers.

"It's ok." She said, her smile radiant "I'm so happy…I really….feel for you." Her blush intensified and she looked down. Leon seemed to gather his wits and embraced her again, kissing the top of her head.

"I feel for you too." He mumbled. Still locked in their embrace, they lied down and settled more comfortably. From time to time, Sora would make an offhand remark and he would laugh quietly, stroking her hair and back gently. He wouldn't chance more. Not tonight. For now, he was just content to hold her.

* * *

**A/N-Well, kissing gets us somewhere. Please leave me some sugar sweeties!**


	14. Private Emotion

**Ok, a few things. **

**First of, and I know you guys will hate me, but given certain circumstances which I will explain later in this post, I might not be able to upload very often in the upcoming months, so I apologize in advance. I know this chapter took some time, and believe me, I've tried, but the scenes wouldn't come out right. Even now I'm not wholly sure about all of them, but I really wanted to try. I know it was trying for your patience, and for those of you who were nice about it, I'm sorry it took me so long. You guys really are the best.**

**Now, for the rest of you...I realize that I'm a great big tease and I left you hanging and all that. I get it, believe me. Sometimes I want to rip people's heads off for holding their stories too. I get it and I apologize, but this isn't something you should slit your wrists over. Writing is something I do with pleasure and I appreciate your support and kind words more than I could describe, but I cannot create a perfect story with the snap of my fingers (grammar- and plot-wise). Believe me, if only there were enough hours of the day and perfect ideas at hand, I would gladly sit on my ass in front of the keyboard and write, but I do have my limits. Surely those of you that write know how frustrating it is sometimes to juggle your duties with the things you love-please extent the same courtesy to me.**

**Damn, this turned into a rant, didn't it? Sorry about that. Chapter fourteen. Theme song: Private Emotion by Ricky Martin**

* * *

Private Emotion

The sleep ebbed away painfully slowly, letting awareness settle in. Sora blinked lazily a few times, while trying to remember why her vision was suddenly assaulted with hues of blue and silver. Her bedroom…well, Leon's guest room, was decorated in shades of yellow and golden. Did something happen in the night? Perhaps she had been sleep talking again and he had thrown a blanket over her?

Oh….oh….

Finally able to focus, she realized that her current pillow was moving…Funny....it also smelled faintly of turpentine.

Sora almost jumped five feet in the air, but Leon's hands had perfectly molded her to him, not letting her squirm out. Carefully, she looked up from his broad chest to see his handsome face, completely calm and serene, still trapped in slumber. Now that was a new sight….

Carefully, she pushed herself up as far as she could to take a better look at him. If he wasn't one of the most talented painters around here, she thought, he would've easily made a living as a model. He was just too handsome-his figure was an etalon for human perfection, with broad shoulders and narrow waist, strong limbs and slightly tanned skin. And his face…he had told her she gave off a myriad of emotions, yes, but his was fascinating with the variety his features produced. His hair, long and soft, seemed to balance the sharpness of his face, but the decided lines gave him a mature, manly look…

Sora sighed and reached over to trace his chin with her finger. Sleeping, he looked oddly like a sculpture…perfect, but incomplete. When he woke, things changed-his eyes animated the sculpture, giving him life…

But walls rose as well. They had known each other for long enough for her to know when he was telling her the truth and when he was holding something back. Sora didn't pretend she knew him better than anyone, but last night, Leon had shown her a side of him that he had never shown. Sure, he had saved her on more than one occasion, but even then he had never looked more than mildly annoyed with her recklessness. Yesterday, however, he had seemed genuinely concerned about her wellbeing, and he had been more interested in easing her pain than actually scaring the crap out of the one who inflicted it (Almost. She didn't bother looking at Allan to confirm that he was still breathing after Leon's uncharacteristic displays of attention.). There was gentleness to him, one that he hadn't shown before, and she was both saddened and curious as to the reason why he didn't let it out more often.

Leon cranked one eye open just as her finger reached his cheekbone and she froze, waiting for some sort of reaction. He contemplated the situation for a moment, before rolling them over and settling his head on her chest with a pleased grunt.

O-k….That wasn't a reaction she expected. Well…actually, she didn't know what to expect, but that was beside the point. Leon was never much cuddly either…

Maybe she could blame it on the fact that he was still sleepy and pretty much comatose. After all, kissing was hard business and you needed time to recover from it. She definitely felt a little shaken after last night. As if she had slipped from post-kiss bliss into slumber.

And speaking of hard business…Sora had to blink a couple of times, thinking that her dirty mind was running loose again. But no! It wasn't. It really wasn't. Her mind reeled. Dear God, was he really….really…?

_Yes, he is,_ her inner devil moaned in ecstasy, _and you better not make this worse, you prude!_

_Ok, just don't panic_, she thought frantically. _It's probably because it's morning. Men have that. It doesn't necessarily have to be you. How many times have you walked in on him and May in flagrante? It's obvious he has no problem with those sorts of things._

However amusing the situation was, though, Sora couldn't have them oversleep. She had to meet up with Dio to work on their routine later today, which meant that she would have to get up from bed sooner or later. Thinking over her possibilities a few times, she settled on the least painful one, nudged Leon off as gently as possible, and slipped out of bed as quickly as possible.

It didn't escape her that he nuzzled her pillow as soon her registered her absence.

* * *

Practice was uneventful. She and Dio had gotten one of the rooms at the Academy, where they could practice their routines in peace, with no Allan grilling them for every mistake. The break she took yesterday and Leon bandaging her legs had helped-she was feeling relaxed and healthy, ready to take on a challenge. Dio seemed glad of the change, but that didn't stop him from grilling her about yesterday.

"So…" he began, when they stopped so that she could wrap her legs up again "The big guy from yesterday…is he your boyfriend?"

She paused, her brow creasing pensively. Not that it wasn't a yes or no question, but they never really got around to defining the semantics of their relationship. She said she felt for him. He said he felt for her. Dio seemed to sense her hesitation, because he went on.

"Because with the way he was feeling you up yesterday, I was briefly worried that you two might start going at it then and there."

Sora was mortified.

"I don't think he was feeling me up." She blushed "More like…holding me?"

"Well, whatever it is, he seems like a cool guy." Dio smiled "Very…virile." She blushed and he laughed. "Don't worry, Sora. There's nothing wrong in displays of affection. If anything, it shows the strong bond between two people. He must really like you. It's not something to be ashamed of."

"Y…yeah, I guess…" she looked away.

"Is Leon the reason why your friends don't come to visit anymore?" Dio asked

"Huh?" She turned around to look at him "How do you know my friends don't visit anymore?"

He looked sheepish as he ran his fingers through his hair "Well, you introduced me to one of them…you know, the one with short hair who wanted to be a comedian…"

"Anna."

"Yes, Anna…I was…kinda hoping that she would come and visit again…but she didn't. Instead, Leon came around the other day, and I suddenly became suspicious." He looked at her "Your friends do not approve of him, perhaps? Is that why you're not talking anymore?"

"It's a little bit more complicated than that." She sighed.

"I'm sure I can keep up." Dio offered.

And for the next hour, he did. She told him everything, from the slap she delivered on Leon's cheek to the chaste, but intense kissing. Dio was a good listener. If anything, he didn't interrupt much and he let her go on with her story. She was sure he was a little worried about certain things, especially when she told him of the fallout with her friends (or, rather, with May. The others had just played along), and the fact that she didn't know how to act around Leon. For one thing, she wanted him to feel comfortable around her and be happy. On the other hand, she just couldn't let go. And there was this issue that she would've rather slept with him if it meant that her friends would be mad at her for a reason.

Dio listened to all that. For a while, he seemed preoccupied, and then he began, slowly choosing his words.

"Sora, you do know that Leon's trying to be a gentleman here, don't you?" Dio ran his hands through his hair slowly "I'm sure he's no manwhore, but you should know that he probably thinks that he should make things different with you. Take it slow."

"Yeah, but…I don't know, sometimes I feel that he just wants me for the company." She conveniently omitted the little 'morning' moment. Actually, it didn't count until the guy was wide awake and conscious, so it wasn't exactly lying. To her surprise, Dio just cackled.

"Believe me, with the way his hands were all over you, there was no doubt in anyone's mind what he wants to do." He leaned in, whispering "Guys are like that-when we see a girl we really like, we grope her and kiss her in public…You know, staking our claim. He probably heard Allan bitching at you again and decided to show off. You can take my word for granted here, Sora-he wants you. But he probably doesn't know how to ask for it."

"Oh…." She was thoughtful for a moment. Thoughts that she didn't know she harbored cascaded down on her and she bit her lip. Suddenly, she was considering…but was it all that sudden? She and Leon were practically living together, wasn't it natural for couples to have sex? What would her friends say?

_Some friends…they kicked you out, remember?_

What was more, didn't she love Leon? She felt for him, more than she had felt for anyone in her life…but until now, it somehow felt like they were skirting over the edge of it, never finding out the right words to say to one another. Even their confessions last night were vague and left out more loopholes than a Microsoft contract. She wanted more…and by the looks of things, so did he. She wanted to make a gesture, something that would show him how much she loved him, how much she wanted to be with him.

The problem was how to let him know?

* * *

Leon knew she was home before he heard the tinkling of her keys and the sound of the door opening and closing. Her voice sang a greeting, but she didn't come immediately in the studio. Instead, he heard her drop her things on the floor and start a shower in the bathroom. Good. The weather was chilling-she needed to get warm.

His eyes turned back to the canvas in front of him and he touched it carefully, checking if the paint had dried yet. It was almost done, but the colors were far too strong…he would have to use turpentine again, but not before it was done. Sometimes they looked too dark before it was dry.

His phone hadn't rang all day, but he knew that if he deigned to put the battery he would get a billion texts from his agent asking about the next painting, and probably a call from his _darling aunt_ asking how he was dealing on this sad day. Leon almost snorted. With the 14th looming over the horizon, the days were abominable. He hoped Sora would spend a lot of time in that shower, he didn't want to burden her with his foul mood.

Unfortunately, he'd barely thought that when he heard quiet footfalls on the hardwood floor. Pause… "Leon? Can I come in?"

"Certainly." He mumbled. Slowly, Sora peeked in, before going in carefully. Leon blinked, taking in her appearance. Her hair was slightly damp and falling around her face in soft waves. Her pale skin had a strange shine to it, only enhanced by the deep blue color of her robe. He tried not to stare too much….and he failed miserably. _Alright, alright, think about something Oswald…what's the square root of 455?_

Sora was hesitating at the door, so he motioned her to come in. Carefully, she stepped inside, trying not to step on anything, before coming up to, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a soft peck on the lips. "Hi."

"Hello to you too." He looked down at her, surprised with her sudden boldness. How strange-even when he was sitting she wasn't all that taller than him. No matter how strong the years of ballet had made her, she was still small and fragile like a porcelain doll next to him "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion." She blushed and looked down shyly "I just thought I'd say sorry for not waking you up earlier."

"Never mind that." He replied, curling his fingers underneath her chin and lifting it up so that her eyes could meet his. Should he say something? Suddenly, his previous irritation and crossness evaporated and he found himself feeling strangely…serene. Gently, he pulled her closer to him and leaned down to kiss her properly, to show her how much he missed her all day…and, yeah, he was also curious to see how she would react.

Never the one to disappoint, she practically melted in his arms. He hummed his approval as he took claim of her mouth and pulled her even closer until he was cradling her in his lap. Her fingers dove into his hair and massaged his scalp, gently scraping the nails over the sensitive skin. _Damn it, math isn't going to save you here_, his mind screamed as his body reacted to her.

Slowly, he calmed their movements and parted their lips so that they could get some air. Sora seemed strangely pleased to be in his arms-physical proximity was, apparently, no longer an issue, and he was pretty happy about that. He wasn't a cuddly person to begin with, but he found it easier to express himself through actions than through words…just like with his art.

Sora looked at the canvas, her eyes darkening slightly as she took the sight it. The painting was a landscape done in the darkest of colors, with a plum tree in the center. The delicate petals had lost their color due to the darkness, but they gave off a strange, ethereal glow. It was depressing, lonely, and beautiful…gently, she reached over and touched it with the tips of her fingers. "Leon, it's lovely."

He didn't answer, just giving her hips a gentle squeeze. She turned around to face him, surprised at his sudden wistfulness "Leon, are you alright?" she asked

"Yeah." He nodded, resting his head on her shoulder "Just…thinking."

The walls were up again. He didn't shut her off completely, but the boundaries were set. She could see him, but only up to a point. How strange-a man who seemed to have no problems with exposing his body was so bashful about exposing his soul.

Sora trailed her fingers over his cheeks, feeling the roughness of the skin, before she pushed up to kiss him again…and again…and again. Needless to say that he was only too happy to oblige…only when she squirmed around so that she could face him properly, nearly straddling him in the process, did he realize that he better pull the breaks before they did something they would regret.

"Sora…" he mumbled through the kisses "Sora…"

"Yes?" she pulled away immediately, going scarlet. In spite of his worry, he couldn't help but smile. _So innocent_…

"Although I would like nothing better than us to continue…" he picked his words carefully "We really shouldn't."

"W…why?" she stammered, her blush intensifying somehow. Leon gently ran his hands on her cheeks, revering the heat and the softness of the skin. So lovely… "Er…do you need to finish the painting?"

"No." he said, and, to distract her (and himself), pulled her closer so that he could nuzzle her soft hair. Sora squirmed, but ended up resting her head on his shoulder.

"Then why?" she persisted.

He heaved a sigh, before pulling back to look at her in the eye. _Fess up, Oswald._ "Because I'm afraid I won't be able to stop."

Leon expected her to panic. Blush. Stammer out an apology and then somehow get loose. She did neither. Instead, she went back to kissing him, this time with renewed vigor, almost knocking him out of the chair in the process. His mind told him that he should stop her immediately, but his heart and his body didn't agree. His arms wrapped around her automatically and he immediately thought about how to re-arrange her legs so that she could face him properly. However, the little dignity that was left in him screamed that he should treat the woman in his arms like the lady she was.

"Sora…please, I really don't think I'll be able to stop." He whispered furiously, hoping to convey the right message. He didn't mind her vigor, not one bit…but he would end up hurting her if they went on, and that was definitely out of the question. Pulling back, Sora ran her hands over his face gently, before saying back:

"Then don't." she replied, her eyes dead serious. Leon paused, his hands on her wrists, preventing her from moving. Was she serious?

"Sora…" he shook his head "Look, I know it's been a hard time for you, but you shouldn't be pushing yourself. And…"

"And?"

"And, I'm not sure we should do this now." He said carefully "I know it may seem strange coming from…well, me, but I don't want you to do something you will regret."

She paused, becoming pensive for a moment. "What about you?" she finally asked

"What about me?"

"Would you regret it?" she asked.

"Only if you did." Leon replied honestly. God, he hated how weak that sounded.

Gently, Sora leaned in to peck his lips. "Then don't."

His first thought was _"She doesn't want this!" _

His second was more along the lines of how quickly he could carry her into his bedroom and have his way with her.

Sora seemed to sense his insecurities, because she cupped his face, tracing the jaw line with her fingertips and ending on that dip right under his lower lip. "How about a compromise?" he nodded, almost eager to get himself out of this situation. "Why don't you draw me, like you did last time? Will you feel better if you had some time to think it over?"

Bad idea. Really bad idea! Don't accept!

"Not in the bathroom…" he mumbled before he could stop himself. _Fantastic, Oswald! You can barely think around her when her clothes are on!_

She smiled. "Alright. Not in the bathroom." Slowly, she stood up and hopped off his lap "Where?"

Faster than he would've thought possible, he was off the chair and gathering paper and graphite. He took her hand and walked her to his room, his mind going fifty miles per hour to figure out what to do next. He paused momentarily to flicker on the lights, and Sora used the opportunity to slip out of his grasp and go sit by the bed. Her face was flushed, but other than that, she looked calm. His eyes bore into hers, searching for traces of insecurity and fear, but found none. Slowly, she smiled radiantly, before picking her feet off the ground and lying sideways, facing him.

She trusted him.

Leon placed the utensils on a nearby chair and walked over her, helping her arrange her body just like last time. But when it came to removing her clothes, he suddenly paused. "You don't have to do this." He noted calmly, and he meant it-she didn't have to do it. He could wait for her forever. Sure, it would be difficult and innerving and possibly painful, but he could do it. But no, she would do it. She definitely seemed calmer now. Slowly, she undid the sash and slipped out of the robe, leaving it on to barely cover her hips.

As soon as she lay down, she felt the familiar feelings rise. Her skin prickled and the anticipation slowly settled in the pit of her stomach, building up delicious tension. She could hear the graphite caress the paper, but the noises became shorter as the pauses grew longer. She knew that if she turned, she would see him frowning, clearly struggling. Sora bit her lip and inhaled, taking in his scent that lingered on the sheets.

It took him exactly two minutes of this torture to realize that no painting would be done.

Even if her back was to him again, this was so much different than last time. Her labored breathing, her skin shining against the radiant color of her cheeks and hair…her beautiful body, barely hidden from view. That, combined with the knowledge that she was in his room, his bed, was enough to make his hands tremble so badly it made holding the graphite impossible. Absent-mindedly, he set the paper down and stood up.

Sora felt, rather than saw him approach. Even though her face was turned in his general direction, he was too far for her to see without turning around. She was starting to wonder if this plan was going to work at all, when the bed dipped slightly behind her and she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Leon…"

Her question turned into a moan when she felt his silken hair tickle her as he placed a warm kiss on her neck. Slowly, he moved up, kissing her chin, cheek, the little spot right under her ear, while his fingers rubbed soothing circles on her skin. Her body relaxed and she rolled over to kiss him properly without feeling too self-conscious.

It was so familiar and yet so very new…his lips felt amazing on hers, but there was an urgency to it that he hadn't demonstrated last night…he pulled back, and she was amazed to find his eyes glazed over slightly. But then he re-focused on her and his gaze slid lower on her body.

The fiery blush erupted in her chest and slid upwards, tinting her skin in a strange cherry-pink. She ducked her head, suddenly embarrassed, but he cupped her chin and made her turn around and look at him in the face. Then, without another word, he kissed her again, while his hands ghosted down her sides, showing her exactly how much he wanted her.

She fisted the hem of his shirt and tugged it up, forcing him to let her go and let the material slide over his head. Her eyes widened as she drank the sight of him, sliding down the sculptured chest and the perfect abs, before settling on the fine silver trail that ran down his lowed abdomen and disappeared in his pants. Her hand fisted in the sheet next to hers and she fought the urge to plop face first into the sheets.

"Are you ok?" he asked as his fingers danced lightly across her cheek

"I'm fine." She said and looked up towards him. Leon was leaning in closer, and she pushed herself up to meet him halfway. Their lips met, and slowly, he started to ease her back until she was lying on the bed underneath him. He touched her, trailing his fingers up her sides, past her ribcage, pausing on her breasts and gently caressing the pert nipples. He took his time, feeling the softness of her skin and enjoying the feel of it.

Sora closed her eyes and gave up sight, surrendering to the sensations. Leon's hands, Leon's skin, Leon's mouth…the contrast between hot and cold…his soft hair that left a silky caress after every touch…He seemed to know his way, taking his time to feel, to explore, to find those spots that made her squirm and melt…Teasing and taunting…biding his time...waiting for her to snap.

Her breath was coming out in short gasps and her cheeks were staining red because of her own reactions. She gasped…he found a particularly sensitive spot and teased it to the point where she saw fireworks exploding beneath her eyelids.

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at Leon, who was propped on one elbow next to her, his other hand tracing calming patterns on her thigh. He bent down to kiss her. "Are you alright?"

"That was…amazing…" she whispered, awed.

"We can stop now, if you wish." Leon suggested, although his body language told a different story. Sora could tell as much.

"I don't want to." She said, slowly raising a hand and stopping an inch from his face "Can I touch you?" she asked. Leon merely closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, consenting. Carefully, she sat up while he lay down, giving in.

She started, tracing his features lightly with her fingertips, before letting her hands slide lower…touching his neck, his chest, his abs, feeling the firm muscles under the soft skin, pausing over his heart to feel the steady beat. Leon tensed slightly when she continued lower, pausing just above the waistband of his sweats. "We don't have to…" he began, but she shushed him.

"It's alright." She looked at him "I…I just don't know how to…"

Leon watched her trace her fingers up and down his forearm for a while, considering things, before he wrapped his arms around her waist and moved on top of her. Kissing her with as much passion as he could muster, he rummaged the top of his night stand for a condom, before pausing on the light switch. He wanted to look at her, see every nuance of her face, lest he hurt her, but he was aware that she might not want that.

Resolutely, he flipped the lights off, leaving the pale moon to provide the only illumination in the room. Their bodies were no more than silhouettes in the dark, two figures moving and dancing in their own rhythm, to their own music. In a dance known since the beginning and yet wholly new, they moved slowly, intertwining limbs and sharing breath…

Until there were no barriers…

Shock, trepidation…

And then awe, pleasure, ecstasy…

Coming whole and coming together, until there was no pain or unfamiliarity, no borders and no questions…

No regrets. Just pleasure.

They never let go.

* * *

**A/N-No threats for once. I know I don't deserve reviews right now, folks. I can only let you know I'm truly sorry if my tardiness upsets you.**


	15. A Kiss From A Rose

**Chapter theme song: Kiss From A Rose by Seal (does ANYONE listen to these anyway?)**

**Thank you all for the feedback. Funnily enough, there were people who liked the veiled scenes and an equal number that wanted more. I'm gonna indulge more now, I hope you like it. Fluff ahead...and this fic is steadily earning its rating.**

* * *

A Kiss From A Rose

At first, she was slightly disorientated. She woke up, like the day before, tangled in the sky blue sheets, unsure how she had gotten in there in the first place. The light was muted, soft, so that it wouldn't hurt her eyes, and for a while, she just floated in sleepy contentment. However, slowly, her mind caught up with her and the memories came back, fuzzy at first, and then clearer and clearer.

She shot up, sitting upright in bed, her heart racing. The room was empty, but through the crack in the door she could hear Leon talking on the phone with someone. His voice was like she'd always remembered it – calm, composed, and actually slightly happy. Sora sat for a while, before standing up, wrapping herself up in the bed sheet and taking a few tentative steps. Ok…this wasn't bad. Actually, she felt ready to break into a dance.

Slowly, she poked her head out of the room and watched Leon as he talked. He was walking slowly through the living room, his eyes focused on some point in the distance, and his voice low. However, when he saw her, his face broke into a small smile and he immediately started talking faster, telling the person on the other end to call him as soon as everything was done. Then, he promptly put the phone down and closed the distance between them in three long strides.

"Good morning." She said, starting to smile, but before she could even get it halfway done his hands wrapped around her waist and he kissed her full on the lips. She breathed in, giddy with happiness, and embraced him as well.

"Why are you up?" he asked when he finally pulled away "It's so terribly early…" he caressed her face gently and traced the corners of her mouth with his thumb.

"No, it's not." She argued, looking over at the clock on the wall. The panic seized her briefly. "Leon, the…"

"You don't have to go anywhere today." He replied, smug as Hell and picked her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist. "I took the liberty of calling Dio and telling him that you're getting a day off, and since you don't have to present yourself in front of that idiot of a choreographer, you can stay in bed all day."

"But…" she was about to say it was irresponsible, but then again…she'd been the one keeping them up till late, right? Well…actually…her face flamed up.

Leon looked down on her curiously, before wiping a hair from her forehead "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing." She mumbled. He huffed something that looked like 'We'll see…" before carrying her back in his room. However, he paused on the doorstep, staring at the bed with a small frown, before quickly settling her on a chair and going to get a clean change of sheets. Sora watched him curiously as he stripped the bed with strong, practiced movements, and suddenly realized what he had seen. Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, she tightened her makeshift robe around her body and thought that perhaps she needed to take a shower first.

The phone rang, Leon went to answer, and she took the opportunity to go to her bathroom to clean herself up. Once in its confines, she shed the sheet and went to look in the mirror.

She didn't look all that much different. Her body, small and bony to begin with, looked just like before. Other than a little blood on her thighs, there was no visible change in her. Not even a hickey. But when she looked in her face, something was different…she was simply glowing.

Sora smiled at herself, and then started rummaging the drawer for a sponge. Just as she was pulling it out, there was a sharp knock on the door. Startled, she grabbed the sheet and covered herself up, before going to it.

"Who is it?" she asked, then kicked herself. Who else could it be?

"Sora?" she opened the door a bit, hiding behind it…Leon was leaning on the doorframe, looking…troubled "Are you alright?"

"Yes?" why would he ask? He was still leaning in, still not making a move to go away. "I was just…having a moment?" she didn't even know why she was asking…maybe because he looked so very much…unconvinced.

"Why didn't you just go into my bathroom?" he was looking at her face as if he was trying to read something.

"I…I don't know. I guess I'm just used to this one." She shrugged "I just wanted to clean myself up…I'll be there in just a minute, I'm too lazy to run a proper bath."

Leon looked between her and the sponge in her hand, then right back to the sheet she was holding around herself, trying to maintain a sense of modesty. He closed his eyes and his lips moved slowly, as if he was mumbling soundlessly to himself. When he looked back at her, he was calmer, although his eyes still looked troubled. "Can I come in?"

Such a strange request…it was his own house. Sora, however, stepped back and let him open the door properly…but he didn't walk in. Instead, he kept looking at her. Suddenly, she remembered the resigned, haunted look he had had when she found him last night…it wasn't often that Leon dropped his guard, and she caught a glimpse of the depth of his feelings, but this revelation gave her a sudden chill. She wrapped her arms around herself.

Noticing her discomfort, he quickly came in and closed the door. "Leon…" she began.

"Why don't let me help you with that?" he asked brusquely. "I mean, if you please….I mean…." He took a deep breath "Why don't you just come with me to my bathroom? Please, you don't have to hide here."

"I wasn't hiding." She pointed out "You don't have to worry, I'll be back in just a second. It won't take long."

"I know, but…I still want to help you. Can I do that?" he gestured towards the sponge, and she handed it to him, reluctantly. She sat down on the edge of the tub as he soaked it up in warm water, and fumbled with the knot holding the sheet to her body. It pooled around her body just as he knelt down. Sora, remembering her modesty all of a sudden, looked away and blushed. Leon studied the specks of blood marring her thighs, before he ran his fingers over them, applying only the slightest pressure.

She looked at him, curious. His jaw was clenched tight and his eyes seemed to look somewhere inside, deep into his soul. Sora felt her chest clench and she reached over, brushing her palm over his face. "Leon…I'm sorry."

Her words seemed to have broken whatever spell he was under, and his head snapped up so that his eyes could meet hers.

"Sorry?" he asked, incredulous "Whatever for?"

"For whatever made you angry." She whispered as she continued to stroke his face. Leon cocked his head on the side, leaning into her touch and kissing her palm. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her closer, burying his face in her stomach. Her fingers dove into his hair and she leaned down so that she could kiss him.

"I'm not angry at you." He said when they finally broke apart. Carefully, he wiped the blood off her thighs. "I can never be. I was just…" He sighed "I hung up and you were nowhere to be found. I was worried…afraid that you had second thoughts about last night...that you regretted it. Tell me…how much did I hurt you?"

Sora stared, incredulous, before she felt her throat tighten. "You didn't hurt me at all…" she couldn't handle it – this gentleness, this devotion…his love, although not one transmitted through words, was in every gesture. He was so incredibly kind around her, treating her as if she was a wild bird that would escape if he made one rash move. Just like the night before – he had been so unselfish, so careful, making sure that she was ready for what would ensue before he even proceeded.

Her eyes prickled with tears and she bowed her head to hide them. Unfortunately, there was no hiding it from Leon. Before she could cover herself up, his large palms cupped her cheeks and turned her so that she was facing him.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered. She could tell he wanted to do more, to come closer, but he daren't. Silly man, he still thought she was afraid of him. Instead of replying, she sank into his arms, pressing into him hard, as if she wanted to become a part of him, inseparable, integral and indistinguishable, just like last night. Vaguely, she felt him cup her chin and turn her face upwards so that he could kiss her tears away.

After they finally subsided, she hid into his arms and nuzzled his shirt. It smelled clean, fresh…a little like him. Sora ran her fingers up and down his forearm, tracing the muscles, and marveling the way such a strong man could handle her without breaking her. "I'm sorry I cried."

"You shouldn't be. It's not something to be ashamed of." He said calmly, playing with a lock of her hair. "I'm sorry I freaked out like that…I'm not usually so…possessive. It's ridiculous when you think back on it, but…" she squeezed his shoulder in understanding. It had been scary. Especially when she did it like that.

"Why don't we say we were both at fault and call it an even?" she asked, and was rewarded with one of his small smiles. "But seriously, why should I have second thoughts about last night? It was…" she paused to look up at him "…it was incredible. I never felt like this…so…whole. I'm glad that it was you."

Leon bowed his head and kissed her cheek. "I'm an idiot. A selfish idiot." He traced the outlines of her face. "Come back to my room…it's cold in here. I'll start a bath and you can soak up while I cook us some lunch."

"Tempting me, Mr. Oswald?" she asked with a coy smile.

"Always." He replied, lifting her up. "Come along, before you freeze all over." His eyes roamed her body and Sora realized she was stark naked. Blushing, she tried covering herself up, but Leon just chuckled. "It's a little too late for that, don't you think?"

"Ha-ha." She gave him a look as he set her down on his bed. "Actually, about your previous question…I may have one regret about last night."

Leon stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her. "Really? What would that be?" he asked, desperately hoping that it was something he could amend for.

"I wish I was able to reciprocate." She looked away, pouting "You did so much, I couldn't even think about giving you pleasure."

Leon felt the chuckle come up, but he covered it up quickly when she glared. Instead, he gave her a slow, deliberate smile, before advancing on her slowly. "Well, if that is your only concern, dear, I'll be sure to amend for it next time." He whispered, leaning in so that he could hover over her petite frame. Sora flushed scarlet, before asking shyly:

"Can I look at you?"

It took him a couple of seconds to process what she had just said and another one to mentally list all the electrical appliances in his house, just in case he left something on. Because, with what they would do now, he was pretty sure he wouldn't move even if the house went up in flames.

Like the night before, he sat on the bed next to her and lay back letting his arms fall next to his body. Sora took a minute to contemplate him, the way his hair spilled across the pillow and his eyes looked like when he was looking up at her. Then, she started tracing his features with her fingers, and leaned in to kiss him.

Unlike him, she was inexperienced – her movements were slow and careful, shy and tentative, but he never rushed her, savoring the emotions that were welling up in his heart. It was a strange feeling – not lust, although there was some mixed in, and not entirely accommodation. He realized he was holding his breath for her next touch, trying to anticipate her next movement, and exhaling in relief when he felt her again.

Sora traced his face, his collarbone, his arms, every inch of exposed skin before she traced the tips of her fingers down his torso and reached the hem of his shirt. He looked at her expectantly. She bit her lip and lifted it up slowly. Leon sat up so that she could remove it easier, and she took the opportunity to move over and straddle his legs. He gave her a curious look, but Sora's eyes were bowed. Tentatively, she placed her hands on his shoulders, tracing the outlines, the muscles, feeling the different peaks and hollows…threading her fingers in the small silver hairs on his chest and grazing just barely the nipples. She felt him stiffen and continued her ministrations, while leaning in to kiss the skin. It was warm, much warmer than she had expected…her fingertips must've gotten less sensitive over time, but her lips, gently, traced upwards and kissed his neck, just as she felt the not-so-unfamiliar heat pool at her stomach.

Leon tried not to laugh when her hands went onto his ticklish sides, and let his eyes focus on Sora instead. She really was beautiful…but now especially…With her gestures, you couldn't doubt her innocence, but the way her eyes glazed over with desire could not be mistaken. The combination was proving to be strangely erotic, and he was suddenly thankful that she wasn't sitting just a bit higher.

Her palms lay flat on his abs and the muscles contracted with surprise. She continued her ministrations downwards, kissing softly, and he lay back on his elbows, letting her do what she wanted. When she reached the waistband of his sweats, however, she paused, looking at his stomach and lower abs with a tiny frown. "Sora?" he asked, wondering about whatever made her stop. His body looked just like it had yesterday – strong, but not too muscled, and a little too slight around the hips. She was leaning right over him, her hands braced on his hips as she was looking at him. Then, slowly, the let one finger trace the fine snail trail that led from his stomach and into his pants.

"It's darker here." She remarked, running small circles on the skin with her thumb. He tried not to hold his breath.

"It is." He nodded. Then Sora blushed, as if she had just said something terribly embarrassing. He couldn't see how a simple remark about his hair could've made her so ashamed, but he decided to elaborate. "When I was younger…something happened and…my hair turned white because of it."

"Just like that?" surprise made her forget her bashfulness and look at him in the eye. Leon gave a small shrug.

"Yes. Overnight. Nobody could explain it – some doctors said it was shock, others said it was stress…My hair was black originally."

"Does it bother you?" she couldn't help it – she reached over and touched the silky locks. She hadn't really pondered over why his hair was like that (her own locks were rose colored), but it suddenly reminded her how, when she had first seen him in the distance, she had thought he was an elderly man. She imagined him with locks of ebony hair, framing his handsome face, and then wondered what could've been so horrible to turn them snowy white in the blink of an eye.

"Not really." His hand covered hers up gently and brought it closer so that he could kiss the palm. "I didn't bother dying it. There just wasn't a point."

Sora kissed him on the lips, so hard their teeth clacked. Leon brought her closer, crushing her to his chest, hoping to have her closer. He could feel the heat of her center through the thin material of his pants and she suddenly stiffened. She felt it as well.

She was blushing furiously, but instead of pulling back, rocked her hips experimentally. She wasn't embarrassed about her nudity, at least, he thought as a chill of pleasure ran through him. His hand gripped her hip and she yelped. "Sorry. I'm sorry…" he whispered, kissing her and again "So sorry…"

"It's ok, I was just surprised." She laughed and then looked down again.

"We don't have to hurry." He said, mistaking her confusion for fear.

"It's not that…I just wish I knew what to do." She bit her lip. Leon kissed her again, before making her sit up just a little. She moved away enough for him to shimmy the slacks down his legs and then sit down. Her blush intensified, and he suddenly felt slightly embarrassed himself. He made her sit comfortably next to him, and then slowly guided her hands, showing her how to touch, how to pleasure. Sora's face was aflame, but her eyes remained open and curious. He let her go so that she could go on her own, but as soon as he did realized he wouldn't be able to last all that much longer.

"Sora…" he warned. She looked up at him "Do you want…"

"Yes." She nodded and moved so that he could grab a condom from the nightstand. When he was ready, he sat up and had her stand with her knees on either side of his hips. Then they came together, slowly at first, lips sealed and bodies intertwined. He laced his fingers with hers, letting her set the pace, faster and faster until…he lost himself just as she came apart atop of him.

* * *

Later, they had completely forgotten lunch and took a shower in his bathroom. Leon took another opportunity to touch her, soaping her up, paying special attention to her breasts and stomach, and in the process discovered that she herself had some very ticklish sides. Now that he knew how she felt about what had happened the previous night, that he hadn't hurt her or frightened her in any way, he was feeling almost giddy, and his mood was very much improved.

He carried her back to his bed and, when she said something about going to get some sleeping clothes, snorted and threw her one of his shirts. "You do realize I'll have to go back in my room, don't you?" she asked as he pulled a pair of bottoms (no underwear) and slipped next to her.

"No, you don't." Leon stated simply, lying back against the headboard and pulling her into his arms. "I'll clear out half of the wardrobe for you and carry your things over. The bed is big enough for us to toss around in it all we want." Although he was pretty sure he would be glued to her as soon as he fell asleep. He still hadn't forgotten that the previous day, he had woken up cuddling her pillow.

"Yes, but…" how many blushes he could get out of her in one day? He made a mental note to try and counting them sometime. "Won't it be weird? I mean…if…somebody comes to visit and…"

Sora closed her mouth, realizing that she was being silly again. Who would visit? Her friends refused to speak to her, and Leon hadn't once received guests since she arrived. Hell, he never spoke about his family – she had told him once about her parents and her sister Yume, but it had been all in a passing. He hadn't said anything about his parents, nor was he required to. She wondered if he always lived alone. The guest room seemed unused.

If he figured out what she had meant, he didn't show it.

"I don't see anything weird about it." Leon stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "We're in a relationship, we live together, there is absolutely nothing weird about the fact that we share a bedroom. On the contrary – what would people think of me if I made my girlfriend sleep in the guest room?" her cheeks heated in pleasure. _Girlfriend!_

"I guess you're right." She looked anywhere but at him, and couldn't wipe the grin from her face. "It wouldn't make sense, would it?"

"Good God, Sora, what did you think you are to me?" he asked, running his hands through her hair "You poor angel, did you think I was ashamed of you?"

"No." she shook her head, and then forced herself look up at him "I just…I've seen you, when you were in a relationship before. I know it's different…I feel it's different this time…" she cut him off before he stated that there was nothing in common between the two cases "But you just seemed reluctant when it comes to putting a name to what you're doing. I thought that labels like that were not something you were comfortable with."

"Funny…you always seem to think of everyone's comfort but your own." He played with her hair a while, considering what she had said, before finally saying "It's not that I find it confining. I'm just not a very vocal person. I prefer to show my feelings through my actions. Although…if we really have to make comparisons, you should have in mind that I never entered a relationship the way I did with you. I've never had to pursue a woman, nor cared enough for her thoughts to try to decipher them the way I did with you."

"I know." She did know. But it still made her feel slightly sad, that other girls hadn't gotten a chance to see this side of Leon. Girls like May…many other girls.

"I'm not proud of some things I did." Leon admitted, making her look up at him "But I don't compare you to any of those girls, nor do I see our relationship as anything like the one I had back then. I'm pretty new to this as well."

"Well, we'll have to make the most of it, then." She smiled and pushed herself up so that she could give him a kiss.

* * *

**A/N-*YAWN* I'm sooooo sleepy. I swear, it's getting harder dragging my ass out of bed every day. Hope you liked it, peeps. I'm sorry it took me so long, the ideas never came. I'm happy though - I managed to write two and a half papers so far this week and I'm friggin proud of myself. Now if I could only figure out what to do with the math... *sweatdrop***

**Review. I don't know how to tempt you anymore. Any thoughts?**


	16. Never Surrender

**Chapter theme song: Never Surrender by Skillet

* * *

**

Never Surrender

"I told you that you don't have to do this." Sora stated as they walked down the street.

"And I told you to kindly stop referring to my walking you to practice as some sort of chore." Leon replied, pulling her closer "I do it because I want to, and besides, I have some work to do in this part of town. It's not any trouble at all."

Sora huffed, thoroughly unconvinced. Leon looked down on her, eyebrows quirked. "I am serious here."

"So am I."

She glared, but decided to keep her mouth shut. They had been living in a state of perpetual happiness these last 48 hours and she wasn't ready to relinquish their good mood just yet. Leon was utterly exasperating when it came to her 'safety', walking her down to her job because he somehow felt that Allan would do something to her. It was ridiculous, and she tried explaining to him that the choreographer would never, ever risk getting sued for sexually harassing her, but Leon wouldn't hear of it. He would have his way no matter what she said.

Actually, it wasn't half bad. She actually felt much calmer in his presence than she had ever been. Perhaps it was because she understood him better now, perhaps it was because of their newfound intimacy, but it made her feel… whole.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder about her friends. None of them had tried getting in touch with her, even Layla, but she suspected it was because May was still pretty angry. But did they talk of her? And if they did, what did they say? Were they sorry for their hasty decisions, or did they force themselves not to dwell on the past? She wanted them to make up, to get to know Leon better and see what a good person he was.

But at this moment, it was all wishful thinking.

Leon left her at the door of the theatre, making sure to kiss her when the people were watching. He knew he was acting a little too overprotective, marking his territory without even bothering to hide it, but he didn't mind. The more people knew he and Sora had a stable, loving relationship, the more reasons for the bastard choreographer to keep his dirty paws to himself.

She blushed a pretty pink and ran inside, hoping that the rest of the cast wouldn't give her a hard time.

* * *

Luck seemed to be on her side – everyone seemed excited about something and she managed to get dressed without being grilled about her impossibly handsome boyfriend. However, the excited whispering got her interested, and when she found Dio, she immediately asked:

"We seem to have gotten a new investor." Her partner said casually, before giving her a look "You seem happy today. I take it you and Leon worked out your differences."

Sora flushed.

"Well, we…er…" Dio raised an eyebrow, before giving her a better look.

"Are you ok? You've suddenly gone very red. But I have to say, happiness compliments you. You're simply glowing." He leaned in closer and whispered mischievously "You guys finally did the deed, didn't you?"

Before Sora could answer (or blush any more), a cold voice resonated behind them.

"Mr. Dio. Ms. Sora." They turned around to see Allan, looking ten kinds of pissed off. Sora immediately tensed when his eyes swept down her body, and she fought the urge to shiver. As if he was undressing her. Leon had never been so outright and disrespectful. True, clothing had become rather optional at home these last two days, but he had never, ever treated her with anything other than appreciation and respect. Allan made her feel dirty…

"So glad you were finally able to join us, Ms. Sora." He sneered venomously "I hope you have improved, if you are permitting yourself to skip practice like you did."

Dio gave her an apologetic look. He must've come to check up on them, Sora thought, but steeled herself.

"I have." She replied.

Allan frowned.

"We'll see."

* * *

The practice was brutal. Sora had never felt so elated to dance, and never so criticized. Allan complained enough for the entire troupe, countering her and arguing about her movements. It all looked fine to her. To him, however, she just couldn't do it right. She was beginning to wonder whether his reputation wasn't overrated.

At the end, she hurried to get out of the building faster, hoping to find Leon, with Dio hot on her heels. However, Allan had other ideas, and he was in the hallway in front of the dressing rooms, hands crossed and foot tapping against the floor. "Ms. Sora, can I speak with you?"

Sora froze. The others were still hanging back, but they'd be there any moment. If they caught her and the main choreographer into a compromising position of sorts, who knew what conclusions they'd draw. Dio stood by her side stoically, preparing to take on himself as much of the load as possible, but Allan gave him a cold stare. "You can go, Dio. You've obviously done all you could."

Her partner didn't bulge. Allan stared. "Didn't I make myself clear? Go."

"Whatever concerns Sora's performance concerns me. I think I ought to stay."

"If I was interested in what you thought, you'd be the choreographer." Allan snapped "Now go, before I tell the director that you've been slacking off as well."

Sora patted Dio's shoulder, hoping to look reassuring, and with one last apologetic glance, her partner disappeared in the dressing room. She turned towards the choreographer, summoning all her courage. "Ms. Sora, why are you here?" he asked.

"Because I want to dance. This is my dream." she stated.

"Oh, your dream. How sweet indeed. Yes, yes, everyone has a purpose. But I'm asking about this seminar. Why are you here? Or, more importantly, what do you expect to accomplish?" his words were full of double meanings, and Sora decided to drop the pretense.

"I want my talent to be noticed. I want to make my dream a reality."

"Well, you're not going to be on that stage." He cut her off and took a menacing step towards her. Sora didn't flinch. He hadn't said anything about her performance…

"I think I will." She replied

"Nobody cares what you think!" Allan's voice rose to a higher pitch and he looked like he wanted to hit her, but Sora knew he wouldn't. Verbal abuse – maybe, but Allan was not stupid enough to hit her.

Just as she thought that, Allan raised his arm threateningly, and a door behind them opened. "What is going on here?" someone thundered and both of them turned to see the director of the company, accompanied by no one other than… Leon. Sora's eyes grew wide with fear, surprise, and finally, relief, at the sight of her boyfriend, and for a second she contemplated throwing herself into his arms.

"Just discussing something with Ms. Naegino regarding her performance." Allan's stance was relaxed, but the director didn't seem convinced. He hadn't missed the raised hand and Sora's nervous posture. By the look on Leon's face, neither had he. The director seemed nervous, and told Leon something about artistic temperament. The Frenchman just nodded and silently pleaded Sora to go into the dressing room. She was never so happy to comply.

* * *

Five minutes later, she was out of the building and bolting like a scared rabbit through the street, where Leon was waiting for her by his car. She wondered what he would say about the way he found her, if he would be angry she put herself in danger, but as soon as she was in sight, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as he held her to his chest tightly.

"I'm fine." She nodded. They stayed like that for a while, before they sat into the car and Leon sped away to the house. He held her hand, letting go only to change gears, and then grabbed it again. It was warm and comforting, but he didn't speak, and the silence was pregnant with unasked questions. Sora kept stealing glances at him, but he kept his eyes trained on the road. After six months (give or take) of knowing him, it was still early to guess what his moods were, but Sora had gotten to know him quite well. And now… now… now she remembered something she'd thought once.

_Leon avoids talking when he's trying to control his temper. _

She was growing more worried by the second, and, feeling the need to reassure him, she squeezed his arm gently.

"Nothing happened, I swear." Of course nothing had happened, he'd been there. Still. "He was just being an ass again."

"What did he say?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"The usual. That nobody cared what my dream was." She shrugged "He tried to beat me down, make me feel small."

Leon's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

"I am so sick of this insect… I should have him fired." He growled, taking a turn rather sharply. The movement was so sudden, Sora's hand was jerked out of his grasp, and he had to grab a hold of the wheel so that the control didn't slip him.

_What?_

"Leon, we've been there before." Sora shook her head "Allan's an ass. You don't have to get mad over it."

"It is unprofessional. He has no business pursuing you like that, especially since you have a boyfriend."

"I'll never let him." Sora said, fiercely "Leon, look at me!" He stopped at a red light and turned towards her. She grasped his hands in her hands and said, firmly "I want no-one but you. I'll never let him do anything to me. Please, understand."

"I _understand_." Was the clipped answer, and when a horn informed them of the green light, he tore away from her and continued with his driving. But he was obviously still displeased, and Sora could feel it. She sighed. Three days into a real relationship and they had to fight.

"But you're not happy I persist?" she asked. Leon gave her an incredulous look (and almost ran them into a wall), before shaking his head. They spent the rest of the drive in silence. When he finally pulled up in front of his apartment building, he took a deep breath and looked at her.

"I'm not angry with you. I just don't like the fact that you have to interact with this disgusting creature."

"I don't like it any more than you do." She said, meaning every word of it.

"Good." He smirked "That means you won't be too much opposed to my firing him."

Sora blinked. "Leon, I know you're really angry, but you can't make the director fire him. You don't have that kind of power."

Leon just snorted and exited the car. Sora unbuckled her belt and followed him out. Something in his demeanor made her reconsider her conviction. "Right? Leon, you're not blackmailing the director, are you?" She meant it as a joke, but he looked like he was actually considering it.

"Hmm… that depends on how you define 'blackmail', I guess." He shrugged as he locked the car "If by that you mean me sponsoring the company and warning the director that any cases of sexual harassment will not be tolerated, then yes, I am blackmailing him. If not… well, then I am not."

Sora stared, dumbstruck. Leon rolled his eyes and turned towards the door. That snapped her out of the trance and she ran after him.

"Wait a minute, what?" she asked when they reached the elevator.

"What you heard." He smiled enigmatically

"Leon, you're… are you the new sponsor?"

"Yes."

Sora stared ahead, trying to take that in. "When?"

"If you're asking when the process was finalized, it was today. Or yesterday night. I went over to sign the paperwork after I dropped you off." _And I also saw the bastard harassing you in front of everyone. _"If you're asking when I decided I would do this, it was when I first picked you up."

Sora did the calculations quickly. The day he'd dressed her wounds. The day he'd first kissed her. The day before they made love for the first time. She tried pushing the anger back, preferably behind a steel door "So how does this work? You gave them money and told them to be mindful of cases of sexual harassment?"

"Not exactly. But I made it clear that if there was any sexual harassment on the part of anyone, they better be fired or I will withdraw the funds."

They were in the apartment now, and she took the opportunity to go to her bathroom. _In the guest room._ A shower would do her good, she thought, and she could think. Leon didn't stop her – her behavior told him that she was angry.

Under the hot spray of the water, Sora thought… and thought some more. What Leon had done… she wasn't ready to think about his reasoning. Not yet. She still had questions to ask, still… But if what he said was true, then he must've gone to great lengths to get what he wanted. Hell, they had enough sponsors as it was, to make the director take Leon's demands into account, his contribution had to be generous. Very generous indeed.

She took her time in the shower, then towel-dried herself and dressed into some clean clothes. She had to choose her words carefully.

Leon was waiting for her in the room, sitting on the small bed nervously. He was looking around, as if he had just discovered the room and was displeased with the decoration. As soon as she walked in, though, he was on his feet. He was nervous – Sora's silences usually spoke volumes, and this time he was sure he'd messed up… and though he didn't know how, he was going to fix it.

It was his turn to be grilled now.

"Talk to me." He pleaded "Are you angry with me."

Sora sighed and looked at him. "Leon, you… I really don't know what to say. How did you pull this off?" _Don't weasel your way out of this. You know what I'm talking about_, her eyes said. He knew that very well, and he just shrugged.

"I have the money. And every year, I help sponsor some artistic event. It's nothing, really."

Sora crossed her hands "But it couldn't have been a small contribution, wasn't it? What did you do to make the director actually worry about Allan's harassment?"

Leon shrugged. "I told you. I just made the contribution. You of all people should know that money isn't the issue with me." He said as he gestured around them, probably meaning the huge apartment, but the way he phrased it bothered Sora. For one reason or the other.

"You can't have that kind of money." She shook her head and went into the living room. He followed her. "You just can't. You don't make that kind of money from painting alone."

"That's true, but you do make money from expertise. With the financial crisis nowadays, people are looking more and more into good investments for their money. Something, whose monetary value will not decrease over time. Antiques are a good place to start, but works of art are the most preferable. People need to know that if they cannot reach their capitals, they'd have something of value they could trade."

"That doesn't mean you could just throw money left and right and hope it would protect me." She said "Good God, Leon, do you even realize what is going on? Didn't you think that this will put us both into a difficult situation? Wouldn't people find it weird that I'm dating one of the sponsors?" _Dating?_ Her mind asked, doubtful. She ignored it.

"Sora, they picked you long before we started dating. Hell, they picked you long before you even liked me." Well, that wasn't entirely true… "And furthermore, I made the contribution anonymously. I could well be a secretary or someone else sent to represent the sponsor. Nobody will make the connection. Nobody could blame you anyway. We are doing nothing wrong."

She pursed her lips, wondering if it was worth asking what she wanted to ask. It would definitely better to leave the question and sweep it all under the rug, believe him and believe herself… but the question would turn into more and she knew, better than anyone, what happened when people weren't honest with each other. "Just tell me one more thing – when you made the arrangements, did you know you were going to have sex with me or not?"

Leon started and stared, obviously taken aback by her question. For all she knew, his silence told it all, but she still persisted, masochistically. "I already had. When you… when you were waking up I was on the phone with someone from the bank."

Sora stared at him, and suddenly felt like the ground was pulled from underneath her feet. She staggered and grabbed a nearby chair for support, before raising an arm to stop Leon from coming over. _Careful, careful,_ she told herself_, don't say something you'll regret. _

Suddenly, the questions started barraging in her head and anger spilled out, as if a flood gate had been opened. Controlling it was of no use. She was losing it.

"I think I need to lay down." She said, gripping the edge of the chair. Leon quickly helped her to the bedroom and helped her lie down. She curled into a fetal position, draping the sheets around herself like a sort of nest. He knelt down next to the bed and stared at her, worriedly. "I just need time to think…" she said quietly, not trusting herself to say anything else. She didn't want to say something she'd regret.

He nodded and stood up. Sora curled further in herself, trying to will the pain away.

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe he actually went that far because of some douche. It would've been comical, if it wasn't so damn serious. She imagined Layla and the rest of her friends, and what they would've said to this. She imagined May, smirking down on her, rejoicing in her triumph. May would definitely see the worst of it. _A price well paid for a virgin's maidenhead_, she would say mockingly, and Sora flinched, taken aback by the force of the imaginary words.

Because, at that moment, she felt objectified. She felt as if Leon had been making sure Allan didn't get there before he did. And though a big part of her objected, saying that he did it because he was worried about her, she still hurt.

God, the man was exasperating! Why couldn't he see that his attempts at protecting her only hurt her more?

That was the exact reason why she hadn't flipped Allan the bird and quit the workshop. She knew that if she didn't get a job, Leon would support her, but the idea of actually being supported made her feel sick. She had nailed a freaking scholarship at Oxford, for crud's sake. She didn't come all the way to England to be a… a… a woman of leisure! What would her friends say? Hell, what would her parents say?

She was tired, mentally and physically. She needed some sort of outlet. So, like every other time, she twisted herself so badly that her sobs wouldn't be heard and cried. It wasn't the smartest thing to do – it would probably worry Leon to no ends, but it did her some good. The feelings were out. The frustration, the anger, the doubt. Her body was wrung of them like a dirty towel and she felt calm enough to get up and talk to him.

Slowly, Sora untangled herself from the sheets and sat up. Her body protested, her muscles sore from having sat in one place for too long. She stretched slowly, looking around the room and finding, astonished, that it was dark. Curious, she looked at the clock and saw the numbers 23.19 flashing in the darkness. Had she really been out of it for so long?

The room was empty. The bed was empty. The door was closed. Leon hadn't tried to enter at any point of her little phasing, and she suddenly felt guilty. _Well, he did act like it was my fault Allan hit on me, I had the right to be angry_, she thought, but it wasn't convincing enough. She wondered if he had gone out. Or maybe he locked himself in his studio and worked?

To her surprise, she found him as soon as she walked out the door, sprawled across the couch. His large frame looked ridiculous on the narrow piece of furniture, and there was neither a pillow, nor a blanket over him. His posture was uncomfortable, and his brow was furrowed as if he was having a hard time sleeping.

_This man is unbelievable_, she thought, and ran back to the room to retrieve blankets and pillows. Carrying him back to the bed would be impossible, she reasoned, but she could at least try and make it easier for him. Leon grunted quietly when she shifted to cover him with the blanket, but when she tried to put the pillow underneath his head, his eyes snapped open and he stared at her, impassively.

She recoiled, only to remember she had nothing to be ashamed of. She wanted to make him comfortable.

"I thought you fell asleep." He mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"It's your room." She shook her head "I can't kick you out of your own bed."

"It's your room as well." He said, stubbornly, before looking at her "Are you mad?"

"Not really." She admitted with a weary sigh and squatted next to the couch. "I was… pretty surprised, actually. I didn't expect that you did something like that just to keep me safe."

"Don't say that like you don't think you're worth saving." He said "I don't understand why you're so angry with me."

"I don't know either." She replied, looking down. "I guess… I felt a little offended… that you would have to give so much money just to make Allan keep his hands to himself. You can't buy every troupe I work for, and you certainly can't always protect me from anything. And… Leon, don't you understand what position you've put us in? Forget what people would think – what would my friends say, if they knew? Leon, I… I felt like I was being bought away!"

He stared at her for a long moment, before pulling her into the couch and turning her head so that she was looking at him. "I'm sorry you felt like this…" He began "But… Sora, I just… I want to protect you. I doubt you realize how strong this feeling is, but let me assure you… there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe. The money is hardly an issue with me, you know that."

Leon hesitated. Sora was staring at his chin, not having the courage to look at him in the eyes.

"I understand how important this is to you." He mumbled "It's very rare that a young person would try to make their dream a reality. And I just… I know what it feels like, Sora, to have to give up. To have your choices overridden by someone in a position of power over you, to actually have to make compromises on your dreams for someone else. I know what it's like and I don't want you to experience it."

She finally struggled to look up at him. "What happened?" her voice was barely above a whisper. Leon's eyes turned wistful.

"It was a long time ago… it doesn't matter anymore…" his hands stroked her upper arms absent-mindedly "I know that I probably should've asked you… consulted with you… but I was just so worried and I was afraid you would turn me down I just let it drop."

Sora reached over and stroked his cheek gently. "I'm just afraid. I've been afraid from the beginning…"

"Of what?" he asked

"Of being found out. Of being judged." She shrugged "Of misjudging you. Of getting in too deep. There are many things, Leon, but I was mostly afraid that if I went too deep, I would never be the same again."

He was quiet for a moment. "Do you wish you didn't? I mean, getting in too deep."

Sora sighed and looked at him. "There are many things I could regret, Leon. There are many thing I would want to do over. But this…" she placed his hand on her heart "And this…" she placed her free palm over his left pectoral "Is something I would never regret."

Leon regarded her for a second, and then released a shaky breath. He leaned in to give her a chaste kiss, before leaning his forehead on hers. "I just wish that this recital would be over and that you wouldn't have to meet that slimy bastard again."

She stroked his hair "It won't be too long."

They didn't realize when they had fallen asleep again.

* * *

**A/N - First real fight... meh, I don't think I came out right. **

**Thanks for putting up with me everyone. I don't know what would I do without you. Hopefully, I'll have more time to write. I think. I hope. **


	17. Appassionata

**Appassionata**

"You know, you don't need to do this." Leon stated as he watched Sora strip the bed one morning, not too long after the whole Allan debacle.

"Damn straight I don't." she huffed "You're the one who insisted on eating cake in bed, you should be the one cleaning this up. I don't even want to think about what all that chocolate did to my thighs."

Leon walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her "I think you should be more worried about your costume than your thighs. I'm not sure that this particular shade of blue…" he began, tracing the edges of the hickeys covering her neck and collarbone with his fingertips "Will go well with it."

"You're impossible." She sighed, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck "You're determined to have me fail this workshop, then?"

Leon rolled his eyes "I don't do things halfway, Sora. If I wanted to stop you from accomplishing your dreams, I would have done so already. You're always leaving yourself vulnerable to me…" he whispered and bent down to kiss her. Her hand slapped over his mouth and she gave him a stern look.

"Oh, no, you don't. We both have stuff to do today, and you can't go out looking like that." Sora stated, while looking pointedly at his chest. Leon also looked down and laughed when he noticed that his skin was still sticky from the chocolate. How did the chocolate end up there? Well, suffice to say that his suggestion to have dessert in bed didn't include plates or spoons. Sora had been mortified at first.

"Well, I guess that it serves me right." He chuckled. Sora rolled her eyes and murmured something about impossible people. Leon was having none of that – he grabbed her around the waist and gave her a sound kiss, before patting her bottom affectionately. "And your thighs are amazing. Stop beating yourself down."

She glared at him and shooed him into the bathroom, before continuing with her task. She wondered if there would be time for them to go out, when the bell ringing had her running for the door. The young woman opened it to find a stranger on the other side.

"Um… Yes?" she asked.

The woman in front of her answered with a question of her own: "Is Leon home?"

"Well, yes, but right now he's not…" Sora didn't get to finish her sentence, as she stranger breezed past her and entered the apartment without so much as an invitation. "Excuse me! You can't just walk in! This is private property!"

Her guest gave her a once-over. "This is none of your business, but I believe I have more right to be here than you." The statement was accompanied by a look that could've easily sent the Earth to the next Ice age.

She was tall, almost taller than Sora, with her white hair cut short and curled over her brow. Her features were aristocratic, strong, and her attire was simple in that way that suggested it had probably cost more than Sora made in three months. Everything about her screamed: Money! Breeding!, but nevertheless, Sora didn't shrink back in fear.

"How so?" Sora asked, while trying to decide why that woman looked so familiar.

"I do not have to explain myself to you."

"Pardon me, but you have to. I li- …"

"Look, just go get him, pick your money from the dresser and go." The woman spat "I don't have all day." Sora's jaw went slack and for a moment, she lost all power of speech. _Why?_ Why was it that every time she tried to argue civilly with people, they answered with unkindness? It wasn't the first time somebody had thought badly of her, that they formed a bad opinion, but… What kind of a world was it if somebody could call you a whore in your face?

Leon chose that moment to walk out of their bedroom wearing nothing but slacks and a towel slung around his neck. Even if Sora had managed some reply to save her dignity, his whole appearance debunked it. All he needed was a big fat "Happy Boy" tattoo on his forehead…

However, his easy demeanor shifted as soon as he saw the woman, standing in the middle of his living room and looking at him as if he was Satan's spawn. Suddenly, Sora became aware how his trademark scowl awfully resembled the one she had received from their guest a little less than a minute ago.

"Well, finally!" the woman scoffed "I was wondering when you'd show up, you good for nothing!"

"Hello, aunt. As always, a pleasure…" he frowned in return. Then he looked at Sora and his expression softened… somewhat. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." She mumbled.

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" Leon's aunt asked, glaring at her again "I told you already, your services are no longer needed. Get going!"

Leon narrowed his eyes and his jaw set firmly. One of his hands dropped the towel he had been squeezing as if he wanted to rip it and extended towards her. "Sora, come here." She obeyed. Once she was by his side, he wrapped his hand around her shoulders and brought her to him. Leon gave her a small, reassuring smile, before turning the full force of his glare towards his aunt "I don't know why you're here, auntie dearest, but I don't think that your manners are appropriate. Also, may I point out it's very rude to just show up on my doorstep without a warning?"

"I have all the right to come here whenever I want, seeing it's the family's money that bought this place." She said, her arms firmly on her hips "And I do not see the reason why I ought to be civil to one of your bimbos. How many times have I called on you to find one or another running around with no clothes on?"

Leon tensed next to her. Sora touched his shoulder reassuringly, but he didn't look down at her. "Look, if you came for a little verbal spar, I have no problem in obliging you. But you have no right to insult the woman I love."

His aunt snorted and flicked her hair over her shoulder "The woman you love? I wish you'd drop all pretenses, Leon. Surely, she's not _that_ stupid."

It was Sora's turn to bristle. Leon, sensing a major catfight on the horizon, quickly squeezed her shoulder and looked down at her. "Sora, can you go out for a little. Go to the store, perhaps?"

She didn't want to go, ushered out like a child that wasn't allowed to watch grown-ups fight. But she sensed that Leon was at the end of his patience, and by the looks of it, so was his aunt. Whatever was about to go down, it wasn't going to be pretty. So she nodded, gave him a light kiss on the cheek, before quickly getting out of the apartment.

* * *

During the deliberately long walk, she compiled a list of groceries, then tried to estimate just how much money that would take, taking in the possible prices, taxes, etc, and coming up with the three possible bills. It was a long, tedious task, but it kept her mind off the scene she left in the apartment and stopped her from worrying about what she would find when she came back.

In fact, she was so preoccupied, she didn't see the person coming up towards her, until she bumped in with them. "Oh!" her head snapped up as apologies bubbled to her lips "I'm so sorry, I didn't…" It was May. The flow of words stopped immediately.

Her former friend was looking at her as if she found her apologies to be just as worthless as she felt them. "Not even noticing people, are we? You must be really in over your head, Sora."

The redhead bristled, her innate desire to keep everyone happy reared its head: "That's not true. I was really not looking where I was going. I have a lot on my mind."

"Well, it never took much to take you to la-la land." May sniffed haughtily "Finally seeing clearly? Did Leon dump you already?"

Sora's voice became cold. "No, he did not."

"But he's going to soon. I can see it. The sullen look, I know it – he's withdrawing. You're probably just waiting for the axe to fall any time now." Oddly enough, the possible demise of Sora's relationship didn't warm May up to her, not in the least. "Well, I suppose we'll take you back once it's over. But don't expect the girls to be sympathetic. They didn't like being lied to."

Sora didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. That whole argument seemed a thousand miles away. But then again, someone as petty as May probably still clung onto that old grudge. A grudge, which, by the way, had no foundation whatsoever.

"May, I swear, it's not like you think. We really were just professionally involved back then."

"Were?" May shrieked "You mean you're involved… otherwise now!"

Sora closed her eyes and prayed that this would be over soon. May was causing a scene, and not one bystander was slowing down to see what the commotion was about.

"So that's it? You waited for the final blow to be delivered to have sex, and then wrap yourself in technicalities and metaphors and earn forgiveness!"

Sora winced, and thought with chagrin about how well the day had started. And then she had had to run from one fight and into another. She wondered if Leon was a little better than her with his aunt.

"That's not it…" she began

"Yes it was! And then you finally fucked and laughed at my misery! Well, let me tell you, Sora, he'll get tired. He probably enjoys going slumming every now and again, but don't you dare make any illusions about him settling for a lousy lay like you!"

Sora gasped.

Al-right…

Something snapped.

"Shut up." She said. She didn't raise her voice, or even glare at May. Two simple words, but coming out of her mouth, they had the ability to stun May for at least a couple of seconds.

"Wh…what?" May stammered

"I asked you to shut up." Sora stated "I asked you to close your mouth for one damn second and get off your high horse. Yes, I did have sex with him not too long after the blowout. I know that it would've been better if we hadn't, but since we were living together anyway, I figured that there was just no point in it. Yes, living together. After you kicked me out, he took me in, asking for nothing. And if you thought about anyone but yourself for just a second, just a lousy second, you'd know that what I have with Leon has nothing to do with anyone, let alone you. Now, if you'll excuse me…" she turned on her heel and stomped up the street, living a shell-shocked May behind.

Once she turned the corner, she broke into a run. Groceries forgotten, Sora jogged aimlessly around the block, while trying to sort out through the feelings coursing through her. They were so many, so many – fear, anger, exhilaration, and beneath all of them, relief. Even when her legs were too tired to run and she slowed down to a slow walk, she felt light and filled with energy. It was a delicious victory, to be able to stand up for yourself for once.

* * *

Too soon, she was walking up the stairs towards the apartment, and the thoughts about the possible scenes she might come home to finally sobered her up. Slightly nervous, Sora opened the door.

Leon and his aunt were sitting on the opposite ends of the coffee table, legs and arms crossed. He'd managed to don a shirt, and her scowl was almost imperceptible. Sora breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm back." She whispered. Leon looked up with a smile that said he'd won whatever argument had happened.

"Welcome back." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down to sit on the armrest of his chair. The ease that radiated off him made Sora awfully self-conscious and she turned towards his aunt with a smile.

"I'm glad you're still here. I'm going to start on lunch, is there anything in particular you'd like."

"Aunt Amelia was about to go, Sora." Leon said.

"He's right." Amelia said "Don't trouble yourself, Sora. I just wanted to catch you so that I could apologize. My behavior a while back was uncalled for."

Sora felt her cheeks heat with the compliment. Amelia stood there for a second more, before deciding she'd been overly excessive in her praise and actually walked out, after exchanging a court nod with her nephew.

As soon as the front door clicked shut, Leon pulled her down in his lap and proceeded to kiss her senseless. Feeling the need to share everything with him – the feelings, the nervousness, everything – Sora pressed herself to him and returned the kiss with equal vigor. Leon growled low in his throat and pulled back to look at her: "Are you ok? Did that old crone scare you?"

"No, I'm fine." Sora said and nuzzled his neck "She wasn't all that bad. Besides, she was a nice warm up. I met May."

Leon's mirth was replaced with weariness. "Oh, Heaven and Hell. How did that go?"

"Fine. Well… more than fine." She said, and proceeded to explain how she had, literally, ran into May, and the showdown that had followed. Leon listened to her, enraptured, and when she repeated what she had told her former friend, a huge, boyish, side-splitting grin bloomed on his face. He got up, whopped and twirled her in the air.

"My champion." He declared, before giving her a resounding kiss on the lips "Former friends, crazy aunts – there is nothing you cannot vanquish!"

"But not without the help of my trusty steed." She joked.

"Steed, huh?" he grinned "That's a metaphor that has a lot of potential."

"I was just saying, jeez!" Sora rolled her eyes "Don't get in way over your head. I like you better as a human. By the way…" she began "Why did your aunt come to talk to you? She doesn't live here, does she?"

Leon's good mood almost vanished and he sighed with annoyance: "No, thank God. She lives in Paris, but she takes a trip every year or two to torture me." he rubbed the back of his neck with annoyance. "She wanted to discuss my sister's trust fund."

At the first moment Sora didn't realize what he was talking about, as if he'd responded to her question with a total non-sequinteur. Then, however, she remembered it - snippets of conversation came back to her, memories of things they had experienced, little things which she had forgotten when May had jumped down her throat and kicked her out.

"She..." Sora felt her stomach clench "You told me once... she died."

Leon nodded. "Yes. However, her money is still in the bank and... well, my relatives wanted to know what would happen to them."

There was no way around that conversation anymore, he thought. They settled on the coach and he started his narrative: "My sister Sophie and I ended up in the care of our relatives very early. They never… abused us, per se, but it was made clear we were never wanted. That was, of course, until we displayed an exceptional artistic talent, me at painting and Sophie at music. Then, of course, they took great interest in us." He shook his head "There's a lot I can say about it, but the bottom line was that Sophie and I had managed to earn quite a bit on our own before I was eighteen.

"Then… one day, there was an accident. We were on the route to a music festival in Cannes, when our car was hit. Sophie was hurt badly… horribly. The doctors didn't give much hope of recovery, and even if she did, it was made clear that she might never be able to play the piano. My relatives were seriously considering whether or not it wasn't better that they just let her die." Leon's fists clenched. Sora placed her fingers on his forearm, trying to soothe the tense muscles, but he was no longer with her. His eyes were trained on the baby grand in the corner.

"I was seventeen at the time." He said "I couldn't make the decision, but I couldn't let them do it to her. I went to aunt Amelia, whom I knew had a keen interest in my career, and begged her to use her influence to let Sophie live. In return, I promised I would do whatever she wanted, go to whatever university, paint whomever she wanted. I was ready to become her call-boy, if it meant my sister would live. The arrangement lasted for three months."

"What happened?" Sora asked. Her voice came out weak, but the sound of it made Leon come back to her.

"Sophie died. Her body just couldn't take it anymore." He closed his eyes briefly and clenched his jaw once. Then he looked at Sora "It was nobody's fault. Nobody but the driver that hit us. But… I've always been angry at myself. I had, foolishly, convinced myself that everything would be alright if I just did my best. If I took the right orders and did what I had to do, it would be enough to protect Sophie from everything. She was just a child… and I had failed her." He sighed "I never really got over that."

Sora rested her head on his shoulder and hugged him with all the strength she had. And then, suddenly, something clicked. "That's why you said you know what it's like, to have to make a compromise on your dream because of somebody else." She whispered.

"Yes." He nodded "I knew Sophie wouldn't have liked the bargain, but in the end, it didn't matter to anyone but myself." Leon shifted and finally, finally looked at her "I'm sorry, you didn't have to hear that…"

"That's not true." She squeezed his hands "It's important to you. It's also important to me. I can't imagine…" she closed her eyes briefly "I can't imagine living with something like this, buried deep inside of you." Her fingers opened his shirt and she pressed her lips on his chest, right above his heart "How did it not tare you apart?"

Leon threaded his fingers through her hair "Are you crying?"

"I'm sorry."

He gathered her in his arms and kissed her eyes until the tears stopped flowing.

* * *

**A/N - I am so SORRY!**

**I'm the lousiest excuse for an author and it'll serve me right if nobody deigns to read this story again.**

**Still... I can't help but hope anyway. royalbk, I'm missing your comments...**

**I'm missing all of you, in fact. **


	18. Let go

**Let go**

The next morning, Sora woke before him.

At first she just stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out why it was so dark, why she couldn't go to sleep… and then it came back to her. The whole last day. Leon's aunt. Confronting May. The return. The apology. The revelation. Sophie.

The red haired girl closed her eyes for a moment and let a few silent tears escape – a measly tribute for a life that had ended much too soon. She realized it was a tad over the top – she had never met Sophie to begin with – but that didn't stop her from feeling the pain. She wondered how she had been so blind as to not see through his apparent acceptance immediately - he was still hurting, even after all these years.

Sora sat up in bed and looked at the man lying by her side. They were both naked besides the bed sheets, which was becoming a habit as of late, but unlike any other night, Leon was lying on his stomach, his arm draped lightly over her waist, his face turned in her direction. The new position allowed her to study him in the dim light – her hand reached out to touch his face, trace the familiar lines. She swept some hair from his brow and trailed her fingertips down his back, following the curves and dips. His arm was particularly beautiful – strong, but not too buff, with a shapely wrist and long, well-formed fingers. It wasn't calloused, yet it wasn't soft either – it was beautiful.

She lay a kiss on the knuckles, and then another one on his cheek. Leon murmured something groggily, opening his eyes only by a fraction to meet hers, but there was a fire burning in them. Before Sora had said anything, he turned on his back. The arm around her tightened and brought her down on top of him. Neither said anything – she pressed herself to him fully and kissed him, long and hard, hoping to convey in one gesture all of her feelings. How she adored him. How she loved him. It was beyond anything words could express.

He didn't question her sudden boldness, or ask after the reason for it. At the moment, all he needed was to feel, to really, really feel. That was why, when her slow movements fully awakened him, he didn't think twice and went with the flow.

* * *

Much later, they were sitting down to have breakfast, when Leon brought up the subject of Allan again.

"I know we agreed that I wouldn't bring it up again, but are you sure you want to go today?" he was referring to the practice they had – a personal one for each performer with the choreographer, which aimed to determine just how far they had gotten.

"I have to. The performance is next week." Sora smiled bravely, even though her gut clenched in fear "I'll be fine, Leon, and Dio will be with me for the second part of it." She didn't finish her thought – that if Allan tried something funny, there would be someone to come on the way, but Leon caught up on it again.

"He wouldn't try anything. He's already had his two calls, one more strike and he'd be out."

Sora nodded. After a while, she got up, kissed him fully, promised to come back soon and left the house. He loitered around for a while, washed the dishes, checked if his paintings had dried, watched some TV, even tried playing on the piano for a while. But it was of no use. Within fifteen minutes after she had left, Leon was already starting for the door, car keys in hand and phone in the other. In another five minutes he was already driving towards the theatre.

Oh, he meant everything he'd said – Allan was a slime, but he was an ambitious slime, which meant that his job came first. He wouldn't risk his career for all the women in the world – no sane man would do such a thing. But Leon couldn't ignore that nagging fear that had rooted itself deep down in his chest. Because if there was a lesson he'd learned in his twenty-four years, it was that human cruelty ran deep, and it sometimes overruled decency, social inhibitions, or even common sense.

And he was afraid.

* * *

Sora's own fears were confirmed not ten minutes into practice. Allan had come in late and immediately started yelling at her for not having warmed up well enough. Then he chastised her for sloppy footwork. Then he accused her of not following the beat, even if they weren't two seconds in the music.

Finally, she begged: "I haven't even started! Please, just give me a second to take a breath."

"I will not!" Allan snapped "You may think that this is all fun and games, but you're wasting not only mine, but everyone's time with your laziness and lack of talent. Honestly, I wonder why we even took you!"

"Well, perhaps you need to go out and then come back again." Sora replied "Perhaps you need to stop yelling at me for two minutes and let me dance."

"It's a hard world out there." Allan sneered "Nobody's going to hold your hand all the time, and your boyfriend won't definitely be there to cover for you." He was so close, almost face to face with her, breathing heavily and looking angrier than she'd ever seen him before "Do you think he'll always be there? Give me a break! He'll dump you at the drop of a hat when he tires of you."

At any other time, his words would've hurt her. Now, Sora only saw another May – a raging, selfish brat that didn't see past their own nose. She narrowed her eyes.

"What happens between Leon and myself is our own business. Whether he decides to stay with me or dump me, it's nobody's business but our own. And it most definitely has nothing to do with this job."

"Oh, right. And your boyfriend just happens to be a major benefactor that is overly concerned with charges of sexual harassment. How very convenient!" Allan spat "Tell me, did you get your position because you slept with him?"

"That is ludicrous!"

"Oh, really? I don't think the other sponsors would think that. Tell me, who would they believe – an esteemed choreographer or a hysterical ballerina? I bet I can convince them that you're a talent less hack that got the job because she fucked a sponsor. They'll boot you in no time – they wouldn't want their show to be ruined. Unless…" he gave her a sneer "You decide to be nice to me."

Sora recoiled: "What?"

"You heard me. I'm planning on going to the sponsors right now, tell them that you're good for nothing, that you can't work under pressure and that you can't perform. But maybe I'll change my mind if you beg."

She was silent, her eyes wide and fearful as she considered her options. The door was too far, and he was standing between her and any possible escape route. A little more and he would have her backed up against the wall.

"Well?" Allan asked "Drop down on your knees, Sora, and maybe I'll give a favorable review."

Sora took a deep breath when he came even closer. Her whole body tensed, she closed her eyes and took a deep, fortifying breath. When she opened them, her gaze was firm and her lips were set in a grim line.

"Go to Hell, you fucking pervert!" she gritted. Almost on her own accord, her foot shot up and she kneed him in the groin.

Allan's eyes went wide, and the next thing she knew, he was crumpling on the floor, whining like a complete whimp. Not caring to hang around and see his reaction, Sora grabbed her bag and bolted for the door. She flew out in the corridor, not even bothering to pay attention to her surroundings, and headed for the general direction of the door. She was so preoccupied she nearly collided with Leon, who set his arms out to catch her.

He took one look at her – the wide eyes, the flushed cheeks, the way her breath came out in tiny, tiny pants, and knew immediately what had happened.

"He's lying in the practice room. I didn't let him touch me." she breathed.

Leon nodded and took his cell phone out. Sora tuned the conversation out, she ignored the whole world, for that matter, and so she didn't notice how Leon took her to the car, or hear him order her to stay put. She didn't see him go inside, or notice the people guiding Allan out. The only time she showed some sign of life was when Leon slid into the car and, wordlessly, started driving them towards home.

Sora didn't know what to say to him. All this time, she had been telling him that everything would be fine, that she had things under control and that she would go through with it. She had done so, even though everything – Allan's behavior, Leon's pleas, and even her own gut – had told her to stay away, to run. And now…

Now she regretted having been so foolish. God, he could've done anything to her. Punched her, kicked her, knocked her out. He could've hidden her somewhere, lied, and then had his way with her. Sora shuddered and felt a little sick. The adrenalin from the fight had worn off, leaving her weak and trembling.

Leon pulled up in front of their building and got out of the car. It wasn't until Sora didn't follow him that he noticed her unusual silence.

He opened the door. "Sora. We're home."

She nodded, but didn't move to unbuckle her seat belt and come out. Leon waited for a beat, two, three, before reaching out to unbuckle it himself. She tried getting out on her own, but her legs, still shaky with fear, gave out underneath her and she tumbled in his arms.

Leon staggered a bit, before swinging her in his arms and setting her back on the seat. Even though he'd gotten used to the feel of her body, he couldn't help but wonder at how light she was. As if between the morning and the present moment, she'd lost all her weight. She snuggled into his arms, nuzzling the crook of his neck and whispering apologies hurriedly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

As if she couldn't stop.

"What for?" he asked as gently as he could.

"For not listening to you. For being so stupid." She murmured, and choked back a sob.

Leon was astonished. During the whole ordeal, the talk with the director, the drive home, he'd thought about nothing else but Sora. He'd berated himself for being so careless and not having trusted his instinct immediately, for not being there fast enough and saving her. He'd been terrified that she would've been angry with him, and here she was, crying her eyes out and begging him for forgiveness because she hadn't listened to him.

He stood in the parking lot, holding the hysterical girl in his arms, and yet he couldn't think of a single thing to say to her to stop crying.

"Sora…" he pulled her away just enough so that he could look in her red, swollen eyes. And suddenly, the fear, the stress, they were replaced by a new feeling. Anger. Burning, searing anger, one that was so strong it had him clench his fists to stop himself from hurting her. Anger so strong it had him see white. Anger at her optimism and his complacency. An illogical anger, but one that he welcomed, because it chased away the numbness.

Suddenly, he seized Sora and hauled her on her feet. Without warning, without so much as giving her time to collect herself, he hitched her up so that she was on the same level as him, pressed her against the car and proceeded to kiss the living daylights out of her.

No, not just kiss. His whole body was weighing her down, with one hand on her hip and the other fisted in her hair to keep her face and neck open. He pecked, nibbled and licked her lips, her jaw, her neck, not violently, but strongly enough to mix the sting of pain with the pleasure. Sora wasn't helping him either by wrapping her legs around his waist and burying her hands in his glorious hair.

He kissed her like he wanted to mark her, to devour her, to make her a part of him… and at that moment, that was exactly what she wanted him to do.

"No more…" he whispered between kissed "No more sessions. Just dress rehearsal and next week… the event…" He suddenly looked up and his hand tightened in her hair "And then you won't ever work with a guy you don't like. Ever."

Sora opened her mouth to contradict, but the look he gave her had the words dying in her throat. There was more than passion and fear in those eyes. Leon was drop dead serious.

"I…"

"Promise." He squeezed her hip almost painfully "You promise me."

Breathlessly, she nodded.

"Good…very good…" he murmured, kissing her more gently again, and then rocking her in his embrace until her body stopped shaking.

* * *

**A/N - I'm not going to give this fic up. But since I'm supposed to be shipped off to my grandparents' at the end of the week, I'm going to give my best and update as much as I can until I have no net, even if I have to fight my muse and computer to do so *determined*.**

**Your response, as always, leaves me breathless, awed and humbled. I've been missing you guys. Hugs and kisses all around xoxoxoxo**

**F.S.**


	19. Rebirthing

****

Rebirthing

The next day started up in a similar fashion to the previous one… and differently. Similar, because one of them was up before the crack of dawn. Different because he chose to get up instead of follow the tradition Sora had started on the previous day.

Leon sat, cross legged in bed, looking at her. Usually, he didn't pay attention to how women slept – the bed was big enough for two people to roll around in it without bothering each other at all. But he did find it amusing that no matter what, they woke up tangled in one manner or another – him on his back and her sprawled on top, her on her back with him weighing her down, or the two of them on their sides with him spooning her. The previous night they'd pretty much fallen asleep in a horizontal image of their previous embrace, and after he'd gotten up, Sora had remained like that, lying on her side with her hands lightly outstretched towards him.

He gingerly pulled her covers up to her chin so that she wouldn't catch a cold, and traced the messy blue-purple marks on her neck and jaw. Her lips were no longer chipped and swollen from his kisses, but those love bites would take a few days to heal. Leon wasn't feeling particularly guilty about those, nor was he sorry that Sora would have to wear a turtleneck to cover it all up – the less skin those bustards in the troupe saw, the better.

But…

Still…

Nevertheless…

* * *

He was gone by the time Sora woke up. There was a note on the drawer for her – he had to drive up to London to meet up with an agent about a new gallery showing and wouldn't be back until evening. He asked her to rest for the day and not worry about anything.

Needless to say that Sora was surprised at this previously unmentioned engagement. She was even more surprised that he wouldn't ask her to come with him, especially since there were no rehearsals that day. But when she tried to get up from bed, her body, weak from exhaustion and stress, didn't allow her to do more than a couple of steps outside of the bedroom.

So she followed his advice and stayed home, drank hot tea, cleaned up a bit. He returned later that evening, kissed her warmly and they had dinner, but when the time came for them to go to bed, he not only didn't look at her as she slipped her nightshirt on, he didn't do anything beyond kissing her and cuddling her to his body. It was surprising, but she figured he was just tired and thought no more of it.

Or, rather, she wouldn't have thought more of it, had it not happened again on the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

Safe for his going to London, the next few days went in a similar fashion. They got up, they ate, he worked until late, she went to practice, they cooked dinner together and watched television on the couch, and then went to bed, without him trying as much as putting his hands under her clothes. The first time she chalked it on exhaustion. The second, she was worried. On the third, she didn't know whether to hit him or cry.

However, neither her confusion, nor anger, nor her newly found guts made her call Leon out on his strange behavior. If anything, it made her wonder if she wasn't the strange one. Just because she'd started taking something for granted didn't mean it was normal, after all, people did more things than have sex. If anything, since they gave it up after a certain age, one might safely presume that it wasn't all that worth it.

Still… there was more to her anxiety than just her gut feeling. Leon still kissed her, still held her, they still conversed, but Sora felt him distancing himself, saw the brooding looks. She recognized them, too, from the first time May had introduced them. And she couldn't help but wonder if her friends hadn't been right after all.

Six days passed in that manner. The dress rehearsal came and went, flawlessly, with the directors pleased. Allan was nowhere in sight – Leon had been right when he'd said he would get fired if he made a move on her. Sora was happy that, for once, everything was going according to plan, but at the same time felt dread to go home.

* * *

The day before the performance, she woke up alone… again. She sat up in bed and let out a loud sigh. No notes. Leon had warned her he would have to go out and buy some supplies the previous night, but his evasiveness was going too far. If he needed supplies, did he really need to go to another town to buy them? Didn't Oxford have enough paint shops? And why get up before the crack of dawn?

She couldn't ignore it anymore. Something had to give.

But the more Sora tried to think of a reasonable excuse for her boyfriend, the more she came back to those dreadful conversations, with May, with Allan, and their words, cold and cutting, came back to her.

_He will break your heart, no matter what he tells you or lets you think!_

_You're probably just waiting for the axe to fall any time now._

_He'll dump you at the drop of a hat when he tires of you._

Funny how those words that meant nothing to her then could cut her up when she didn't have his reassurance. She tried, oh how she tried, to be strong and brave and grown up, to be able to more than a whining little woman, but the more she thought of it, the more afraid she became.

And then she laughed. A quiet, bitter little laugh, one that was addressed to no one but herself. She was such a child. An insecure, clinging child. She had something with him. She knew they had something together. It wasn't just the sex and the painting. They'd grown closer, bonded over experience, managed to bare themselves to one another and still accept the person they saw. And yet, as soon as he showed a sign of distancing himself, without proof or anything, her insecurities reared their ugly heads and frightened her. Sora wanted, more than anything, to be able to forget them and tell herself that everything would be ok once the performance was over and she got a job offer…

Oh God! The performance was the next day! So many people would be there! And her whole career depended on whether or not she got a job offer… Sora didn't know what was more terrifying – being afraid that she would screw up and fail, or actually getting a job.

Oh, Lord! What if she did? What if some far, far troupe offered her a place? She would have to leave Oxford… maybe leave England as well… and probably leave Leon behind. She suddenly wondered if he hadn't reached the same conclusion and was trying to put some distance between them, so that when the break happened it wouldn't hurt so much?

Sora shook down to her core with fear. This was worse than just worrying about his distances… worse than hearing May bitch about him… worse than hearing about his sister and the tragedy that had befallen their family… it was almost as sure as the truth itself.

She felt her stomach churn and bolted towards the bathroom, where she was so violently sick she couldn't stand for five solid minutes.

Once Sora managed to get her bearings, she took a quick cold shower, before dressing in her most comfortable lounging clothes and performing a series of light warm-up exercises. The monotony gave her some breathing space and she managed to clear her head just a bit before a sharp pain in her middle made her wince.

She tried ignoring it, but when it didn't go away, she found herself forced to sit down. Her belly hurt. Her back hurt. Briefly, she wondered if she wasn't coming down with something, or if her period wasn't making an early appearance. It definitely would be time, since the previous month…

Sora froze, hand on her stomach, and her face blanching at the sudden thought.

No… that couldn't be right…

The pain could've been caused by many reasons – a cold, overdoing the exercises, sleeping on the wrong side. Sure, she'd skipped her period the previous month, but with all the stress between her friends, moving, and Allan, she hadn't thought twice about it. It was normal, actually. And Leon was always religious about being careful when they…

Oh God…

Sora closed her eyes, counted to twenty… and then counted again, only backwards. Then again, in Japanese. This couldn't be happening. Of all the pageantry, stupid, corny, American-romantic-comedy type scenarios, this one couldn't be happening. She shook her head in denial, and then shook it again in fear. And then, because she honestly didn't know what to do anymore, she grabbed the phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.

"Hello?" the person picked up on the second ring.

"Layla-san…" Sora said, her voice no higher than a whisper "Please help me… I think I might be pregnant…"

* * *

Layla Hamilton had been called cold a lot in her life. It wasn't something she dwelled on. Being cool and collected was a quality people often liked in this world, and she wasn't one to let a petty comment bring her down. And if anything, when a crisis came, she was efficient.

Less than half an hour after Sora made the panicked phone call, Layla appeared on her doorstep with a gallon of orange juice and a couple of home pregnancy tests. Neither said much, but they hugged each other long, unable to say "I missed you" because it was too much and too little at the same time. They were silent as they drank the juice, and then Layla sat in the guest room while Sora took the test. Once she was done, she opened the door to let her in.

The two women sat in the guest bathroom, Sora on the toilet lid and Layla perched on the edge of the tub. Sora had her head in her hands, while Layla looked around while carefully avoiding the two sticks on the counter. Finally, when Sora let out a strangled whimper, the blonde said:

"It'll be alright, Sora."

The girl didn't reply. In the past thirty minutes, she'd had time to imagine every possible worst case scenario, and there was even some time left for her to berate herself. At the moment, she was way past the worrying whether or not it's alright.

She finally did look up, but her expression was closed up: "What am I going to do?"

"Right now? Wait until the damn test is done. It's too big, Sora, to take it in one go. Just go one step at a time." The blonde gave her friend a careful look "This is about more than just a pregnancy scare, isn't it?"

The redhead just nodded miserably, and, in a small voice summarized what had happened with Allan and Leon's behavior afterwards. Layla listened attentively, then motioned to her to join her on the edge of the tub. When Sora complied, the blonde hugged her and put her head on her shoulder.

"You know, Sora…" Layla said, as she stroked the vibrant cherry colored hair "Leon could be telling the truth. Perhaps your life is falling into normality, and you just got used to the fast pace."

"That was what I thought. Only…" she sighed "Everyone kept telling me he would leave me. That there is nothing about me that could hold his interest indefinitely. It's…"

"It's hard when you can't tell him, and he can't assure you." Layla finished "Look, I understand how you feel, but this whole problem can be solved with a simple conversation."

"I know that. I understand that. I'm just under a lot of stress lately." Sora looked up "I'm sorry, Layla-san. I'm only worrying you, and after such a long time."

"Yes, it's very selfish of you." Layla joked and pinched her cheek playfully, before her expression turned serious "But that aside, yes, it has been a long time. Why didn't you call me earlier? You must've known that I don't judge you like May."

"I'm sorry." Sora whispered as tears prickled her eyes again, this time less for herself and more for her friend "I'm sorry. I was afraid what you would think of me."

Layla shook her head and stroked her cheek with a look that mothers probably had when they kissed bruised knees and palms better. "What in the world gave you the impression that I would think badly of you? If May lashed out on you, she should have been twice as fierce on me. Did I not encourage you to take that job when Leon first offered it to you? Even then I realized that his seducing you was a real possibility, and I didn't even imagine that he would actually not break your heart. If you were guilty about acting on your feelings, I was guiltier for pushing you into a sense of false security. And even with that, May had no right to turn the girls on you or kick you out. We both know there is nothing to be ashamed of because May is being petty and jealous."

Sora sighed: "Sometimes I'm not so sure. I understand May, but why would Mia and Anna have supported her if she didn't have a valid point?"

"Mia and Anna were caught off-guard." Layla said "They were shocked that you of all people would fall for Leon, and until that time, they had never bothered to think about him as anything else but a conceited bastard. It shook them up, made them feel vulnerable to all sorts of tools. Believe me when I tell you, they think very differently now that they've had time to think it through and listen to May's bitching a bit."

"So… you think that… if I send them tickets to tomorrow's performance, they'll come?" Sora asked. Layla laughed.

"Of course they would. In fact, I think Anna will volunteer to do your make up for you and hide all those lovely bite marks." Layla said as she touched the small traces left of Leon's last antics. "And just so that we can be clear on this, no man can experience such passion one day and have it vanish on the other."

The two friends shared a little laugh, before Sora peered at the two tests on the counter.

"Well…" she breathed "I guess that it really was a false alarm."

Layla gave the two negative results a good look, before nodding as well. "I'm not sorry for it. If I'd known this was all it would take for you to start talking to me again, I'd have arranged for something earlier. Take my advice – talk it all out with Leon, even if it was just a false alarm, and then have lots and lots of hot make-up sex. Or the other way around, it works either way. Just walk past him in your underwear and you will have another scare on your hands."

Sora chuckled: "I'll keep it in mind. I'm sorry I was so silly."

"We're women." Layla said calmly "We're allowed to be silly, every now and again."

At that moment, they both heard the front door open and the sound of jingling keys in the hallway. Layla put her hand out and started closing her fingers one by one, and before she'd gotten past the third one, Leon was calling Sora loudly and, they noted with satisfaction, with a tinge of worry in his voice. _My shoes…_ Layla mouthed as she rolled her eyes. Honestly, how could that girl think the man was anything but besotted with her?

"In here!" Sora called out between giggles. The sound of her laughter seemed to calm him down, because he didn't come running, but his steps were definitely hurried. He paused at the entrance of the guest room, and then again in front of the closed bathroom door. They could just imagine him standing there, holding his hand out and worrying if he ought to knock or not. Layla chuckled and got up to resolve his dilemma for him.

Leon recoiled just a bit when the door swung open. Surprise, confusion and suspicion, all manifested on his face, even when he struggled to keep his mask of polite indifference on. His hand was frozen halfway to the door.

"Layla…" he nodded his greeting, as his brain tried to come up with a reason to find her so suddenly laughing with his girlfriend in the guest bathroom.

"Leon." She nodded and gave him a little smile, before turning her attention back to Sora. "I hate to have to break up the party, but I need to run."

"Boyfriend?" Sora asked.

"Yeah. Luckily, he lives nearby."

"You guys should come over for dinner sometime." Leon offered coolly from behind her.

"You know, that's an idea. I'll discuss it with him, and then get back to you on it." Layla winked at Sora "I'll get back on you, to see how _that _went. Oh, no…" she said as Leon turned to follow her to the door "I'll see myself out. I'm sure you two have a lot to say to each other."

Leon and Sora stared at the general direction of the door until the click of the front door told them that Layla was gone. "I called her." Sora said, answering the unspoken question. "I just… suddenly found myself in the need of a friendly advice."

"Last time I checked friendly advice doesn't include crying. And why were you in the bathroom of all places?" Leon asked as he turned his attention back to his girlfriend. Sora opened her mouth to say something, then suddenly choked back on the words and turned beet red. Her eyes darted around the room, not daring to meet his eye.

Leon needed two seconds to take her appearance in – the rumpled clothes, the nervous eyes, the fiery red blush on her cheeks and the wringing hands. The way Sora struggled to say why exactly she had needed Layla's friendly advice and the sly look the blonde had given him, as well as the location of their heart-to-heart somehow pushed his mind in the right direction. All of that, combined with those two funnily shaped things on the bathroom counter could mean only one thing.

For a second his mind reeled and he found himself struggling for words as well. Then he gathered his wits and stuttered out: "S… Sora, you w… won't happen to be p… pregnant, are you?"

"What?" the blush deepened and she shook her head fully "No, no, no, it was a false alarm. See?" She held out both tests "They're negative. And when both are negative there is just no chance of misinterpreting it."

"Oh." He struggled to find a proper word for it "Ok… that's… good, isn't it?"

"Umm…" Sora blinked, trying to decide what he meant by it. His expression wasn't angry… more like confused. Really, really confused, as if he wasn't sure how he ought to react "Considering that I'm barely out of college and that my future might depend on my performance tomorrow, I'm guessing it's good."

"Uh, yes, when you look at it like that, it is…" he was definitely asking a lot of redundant questions lately. He shook off the fuzziness that had somehow stilled his thoughts and looked at the woman he loved. "Are you alright?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her.

"Oh, yes, definitely." She nodded "I'm feeling calm. Very, very calm. Extremely calm. Don't I look like it?"

"You look giddy with relief." He noted "Though I'm not entirely sure if it's about that or not."

"Oh, well…" she blushed and looked at her hands awkwardly "I was very nervous for a while there. Understandably."

"Understandably." Leon nodded. He could guess what kind of thoughts had ran through her head. And a lot of them had probably featured him. "Were you worried about me?"

No point of denying it, she thought sourly. "Yes. You… this whole week, you've been distant. I was worried."

Leon closed his eyes, chagrined, and then sighed gravely. "I made you feel unwanted, didn't I?"

When she nodded, he actually had to make a physical effort not to groan in exasperation. God, what was wrong with him? First he mauled her against his car, a reaction that had nothing to do with her and everything to do with his own sense of inadequacy, then he tried to give her some space and ended up making her feel like she was unwanted. He could just imagine what she might've thought while she waited for those test results to turn up.

Leon Oswald, for all of his dating experience, still had a lot to learn on the subject of relationships.

"Will you believe me when I say I'm sorry?" he asked, taking her hand in his "It's been a grueling time for the both of us, and I was worried about you. I didn't mean to make you feel unwanted."

"It's fine… Layla said we ought to talk it all out…" though she would've preferred not to talk about it at all. It was too embarrassing.

"It's certainly for the best, though I'm not eager about it." he sighed "I just thought that, after Allan, you would've liked a little space. I didn't want to come off as… patronizing, so I didn't tell you."

"And I didn't want to come off as clingy for asking."

"You're not…"

"No, I'm not." Sora took his hand and kissed the knuckles "But still… we have a long way to go."

"We do…" he combed his fingers through her hair "The big day's tomorrow."

"Yeah." She said "I promised I would send the girls some tickets. Layla said they were experiencing changes of heart. Well, safe for May." She winced at the name. Leon did as well.

"If she hasn't come down from it after you chewed her out last week, we can safely say she won't bother us again." He shook his head "I would've said it was my fault, but in the end of the day, she's the one who couldn't handle it."

"Life goes on." Sora said as she got up and cleared out the counter. As she was washing her hands, she saw Leon stand up and look at the bathroom speculatively. "Are you ok, Leon?"

"Just wondering. Anyway…" he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a small cardboard box. "Since tomorrow is your big day, I bear you a good luck token, my lady."

Sora gave him a curious look before picking it up and flipping it open. Then she stared at the tiny gold earrings that were nestled inside. "Leon, those are so cute…" she gushed as she picked one up and examined it. He'd been sensible – the earrings were of the stud variety, flat, and shaped like fairies in flight. They would not weigh heavily on her ears or get in the way as she danced, or scratch the lobe. "I don't know what to say. Thank you!" she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Leon chuckled:

"If I'd known it'll take a pair of childish earrings to make you happy…"

"They're gorgeous. You really shouldn't have."

Coming from any other woman, such lines would've been nothing more than a show of false modesty. Not to mention how redundant they would be. However, Leon was no worried about Sora abusing his love for her. In fact, Sora seemed more worried about asking too much. She would have to get used to it, though, he thought, because these little trinkets were nothing in comparison to the rest of their lives.

* * *

**A/N - I know what you're thinking. How can I be so despicable as to use something so corny as a pregnancy scare in my story? Well, since I'm in a particularly good mood tonight, having finished this chapter before midnight, I'd like to talk about that. Sora had distanced herself from her friends, both because she didn't want another confrontation and because she was feeling guilty of keeping secrets from them. Hence the reason why it was easier to fall back with Layla. I wanted to focus on the mending of the fences, rather than the possible outcomes of the scare.**

**Oh, and Leon's a brooding bastard. I'm still working on expurging any traces of Edward Cullen from my system, but it might take a while. **

**I'd also liked to thank to Clow Angel, for having called me out on a mistake I did in the previous two chapters. They're fixed now, so that there isn't a problem (I think). **

**Royalbk, loving me more? Is that even possible?**

**ILoveKuramaTooMuch - any more flattery and I might actually take flight on top of my ego.**

**Two days before I have to travel, and I still have so much to say. Oh, boy...**

**Theme song for this chapter: Rebirthing by Skillet. (Does anyone listen to these anyway?)**


	20. Wherever You Will Go

**Wherever You Will Go**

Layla had been right – not only did Mia and Anna jump at the chance to go and see Sora at her recital, they turned up in the dressing room, and after many hugs, heartfelt apologies and renewed promises of friendship, they helped Sora into her costume, did her hair and make up, so that when they were done, the redhead looked like she'd just stepped out of the cover of a fairy tale book.

"I can't believe it…" Mia said, and nearly broke out in tears "You're so beautiful, Sora. When did you grow up so much?"

Anna rolled her eyes, but it was Dio who spoke: "Gee, you'd think she was getting married by the looks of you guys."

All four women turned to look at the man, but only Sora laughed at his joke. Layla's eyes narrowed, while Mia and Anna sported looks that spoke of confusion, wonder and downright admiration.

"That was my line!" Anna complained.

Sora laughed, and then laughed again, this time with relief. It was nice, so nice to have them around her, if only to remind her what she'd been missing. The laughs. The easy conversation. The downright goofiness of it all. Sora was enchanted. And so were they.

That was why, when she stepped out on that stage, she didn't feel a drop of stage fright. There was no unease about the crowd, no fear of her missing out on a step or two. Right then, she went there, took the stage, and danced like she had never danced before, pouring emotion into every step, every gesture, and every smile. She believed in her dream, and believed once again that her life could be beautiful and enchanted.

* * *

Afterwards, everyone poured into Leon's Mercedes and went to have dinner at the Holiday Inn hotel. Not his first choice for a celebration dinner, but Sora had convinced him that the girls would feel more comfortable in the easy atmosphere. He didn't argue much after that.

As a matter of fact, Leon was willing to invite the whole lot to dine at his home, something that had never happened before. He didn't have much friends, hardly any, so this business was almost a completely new concept to him. He hadn't dwelt on it before – men were, as a gender, more unwilling to bond, and Leon in particular was a very private person. Sora's partner could've been his friend, although with Dio being more like a surrogate brother to Sora that relationship was more about acceptance and less about friendship.

That being so, his feelings towards the girls Sora called her friends were not a mirror image of his girlfriend's. After all, those were the same girls who had thrown Sora on the street. He disapproved of Mia for following May so easily, less so of Anna, since he thought the aspiring comedian had a little sense, and he felt a grudging respect for Layla for being the grown up in that chicken coop.

However, he was willing to put up with Satan himself if Sora wished it – the effect of being in love no doubt – and before the night was out, he had to admit that Layla had been right: Mia and Anna's disapproval of him was based mostly on their not knowing him. Their interactions with him had been few, and all their knowledge of his character had come from May (not a reliable source by a long shot). They had never spoken to him, and more importantly, they had never seen him interact with Sora. In less than two hours, they picked up enough signs that he was head over heels in love with her than he could've imagined.

"So…" Mia began when the girls had retired for a quick bathroom break, leaving Dio and Leon to their own devices. "I know we already went through all that, but I wanted to apologize again, Sora."

"For what?" the redhead asked, pausing with her lipstick halfway to her lips to look at her friend.

"For being so quick to judge you and for distrusting you when you said Leon was halfway decent." Anna said "We should've known that with May's constant bitching, her account of Leon was biased. He's not as cold as she made him to be."

"He's a lot more than that." Mia corrected "He's obviously very attached to you. I can already see yours is a different relationship from what he had with May."

"Guys…" Sora trailed off, not knowing whether to be flattered or uneasy that they were making comparisons between what was then and what was now. Even when she lived with Leon, she caught herself thinking about May from time to time, and feeling a tinge of guilt and fear. Had they not been friends once? And she'd been with Leon. What he'd once had with May he now had with her. And in the next moment, she reminded herself that no, he hadn't. It hadn't been a love affair, but a mutually manipulative relationship.

Sora knew all that, and yet she found these musings to be terribly distracting. The only reason she didn't dwell on it much was that Leon preferred to focus on the present instead of beating himself over a choice he'd made in the past.

Which was why such flattery was usually well received.

"I have to agree." Layla said "I've never seen a man so doting of a woman in my life."

"You're going overboard." Sora stated "I understand that you've never really spoken to the man, but…"

"We didn't need to speak to him to know how he feels for you." At her friend's blank look, Anna elaborated "Body language, Sora, body language. Haven't you seen how he turns completely towards you when you speak, even if you were just placing an order? Or how he always manages to touch you in some way?"

Sora turned beet red: "Well, I wouldn't say _completely_, and why on earth did you say 'touch' like it was a bad thing?"

Anna grinned like a cat that got the canary. "I never said it was a bad thing. In fact, it's great that he tries to touch you, it means he likes to maintain contact with you, even when your attention's not completely his." She winked.

"You really haven't noticed?" Mia asked, her voice full of wonder. "Wow, Sora, just wow!"

"What? It's not like I'm an awkward teenager, noting down every single time my crush laid a finger on me."

"Yeah, I can imagine _that_." Anna said with a sly grin "But I was talking about more casual things. Like the way he drapes his hand over your shoulder, or sits next to you…"

"Why would he want to sit anywhere else?"

"And how he just so happens to find stray pieces of lint on your blouse that he just has to take off, and how he keeps tucking your hair back behind your ear, even though you'd have shaken it loose in a couple of seconds. Thumbs up for that, by the way…" Anna went on mercilessly.

"What she means to say…" Mia interrupted "Is that the man doesn't pay the slightest attention to the conversation, but not because he's bored, but too busy to take in every word that come out of your mouth. Sora, you've honestly tamed a tiger."

"Well, I guess…"

"And now that we've helped you figure that out…" Anna said "How about you give me a little tip on how to seduce that stage partner of yours?"

The redhead nearly laughed, and then she did when she saw Layla roll her eyes. The four finished freshening their make-up and went back into the restaurant, where, upon nearing their booth, they heard the strangest of sounds. And when they came close enough, the source of the unexpected noise had them freeze in their places and openly stare at Leon laughing.

* * *

Anna and Mia had been pretty much correct in their observations. Leon, for a "cold" man was definitely easy to read around Sora. His fascination with her, both as and artist and as a lover, was inexhaustible, and an occasion such as a dinner with friends just revealed one of the many faucets of her character. He found it incredibly engaging to just observe her and note the subtle changes of her stance, of her face, the way her cheeks colored when she spoke for too long, the way her eyes glowed with excitement, the way she licked her lips from time to time. The image was endearing, and at the same time, strangely erotic.

Of course, he knew he had it bad, even before Dio had managed to point out to him (after they'd wondered like any self-respecting heterosexual men why women went in groups to the bathroom and why the hell it took them so long) that he couldn't follow through a simple conversation. He'd known it for a long time, but it wasn't until the previous day that he'd _realized_ it. And, as many things in life, it happened through a particular occurrence.

Now, there were things people learned, and things they just knew. There wasn't a big difference, safe for the fact that the former were never forgotten and the latter could be ignored up to a certain point in time. And the occurrence that brought on Leon Oswald's personal epiphany was one of the latter. You made like you didn't see it, until it came around and slapped you across the face.

Sexual intercourse made babies.

And though in Sora's case it hadn't been more than a false alarm, brought on by stress, bad eating habits and even more stress, it had successfully reminded him of that simple, biological truth, and he'd had plenty of time to stew over the possible outcomes of the situation, being the responsible sort of fellow he was. And since he was responsible (most of the time), there was no doubt as to what the next step would've been if those tests had given them a positive answer – dropping down on one knee, right there on the bathroom floor, and asking her to enter the last legal form of slavery with him, never mind that they were both young and he didn't have a ring on him at the moment. Sure, she had dreams, but they could've been put off for a couple of years, he could support her, and hell, they loved each other, so why wait?

Such reasoning was, unfortunately, the foundation for many stupid things, so Leon had to thank his lucky stars that the test had come out negative.

All jokes aside, he did love Sora. It wasn't just the white-hot passion that was expected from the first weeks of a relationship, especially since theirs hadn't started as a love affair to begin with. If there was ever a person that was worth signing up in an oppressive, failing institution like marriage, it was Sora, and he had no doubt that twenty, thirty, fifty years from it, he would've looked back without regret.

But… the thing was that the imagery bothered him. Marrying a girl because he knocked her up… that was a crass term, especially since the idea of Sora carrying his child had been magical, and made him feel downright giddy, for the two seconds it had lasted. But if he had to put a hand to his heart and say the truth, if it had been any other of his girlfriends and she had fallen in that sort of… predicament, he would've done the same thing. Not because of the feelings he had for the woman, but more out of obligation, which was his main problem with the whole thing. If he was going to marry Sora, he was going to do it because both of them wanted it.

Now if he could actually find the guts to consider it… but as all women know (or at least those in romantic comedies), men don't usually do that without an incentive.

How good that one came up.

A week after the recital, Sora got a phone call.

"Sora Naegino?" the voice on the line was pleasant, carrying only the slight traces of a French accent.

"Yes?" the girl asked.

"My name is Sarah Dupont. I work for Kaleido Stage. I saw you at the recital on Friday night with Dio Carter. I have called to offer you a proposition…"

Fate and authors work in mysterious ways.

* * *

**A/N - Theme song for this chapter was "Wherever you will go" by The Calling.**

***stretches* Ok... travelling tomorrow. Five hundred kilometers in the car, hopefully not in the worst heat. *checks on her muse* She's hiding under the desk. Says I'm wearing her down *grin*. I'm a slave driver sometimes...**

**God, I love writing about those two. They're just amazing. The chemistry is amazing, and they're a lovely pair. My only consolation when I finish this fic will be the fact that I could round the muse up and help me write the demon/angel fic. She's drawing blanks there. I really wanna finish it this summer, but for the next few weeks, don't wait for updates (not because I don't wanna, but there will be no internet connection). I almost feel sorry I floored it this week only to have to pull back again, but I wanted to make up for being gone for so long... as much as I could.**

**The girls seem to have come back easily in the picture, but in a way, May took most of the blame about the estrangement. Then again, that's how I wrote her.**

**I'm so glad you guys didn't think the pregnancy part was corny. It's not something to be taken lightly after all, and I most certainly didn't take it so.**

**Brooding, brooding, more brooding... I have to lighten this thing up a bit.**

**ILoveKuramaTooMuch, if reading these chapters was like coming to a private paradise, writing them was certainly the same for me, and even more so when I hear everyone's positive comments. If you like Leon/Sora, I would suggest you read Royal blueKitsune's works. Her fic "Snow Fur" was the first really good story I read on this site, and I will not hide that after two years, I still look up to her as a fellow author and friend and that her fics make me feel warm and fuzzy.**

**Royalbk, I'm not being a flatterar. I am one of the most unflattering people in the world. I do, however, like to say the truth, and that's what it is. I'm glad that the update made you happy, and that it gave you peace before the storm, even if it was for just five minutes (or more?). And fear not - I like this fandom and will continue to write, even if I have to drag my muse out kicking and screaming. Speaking of which, I do so hope you find the time to write again "Shadowed Dreams", the fic from where I most shamelessly got my inspiration for this story. **

**Love and hugs all around,**

**F.S.**


	21. You Shook Me All Night Long

**You Shook Me All Night Long**

Sarah Dupont called Sora when the latter was out running errands in the city, so Leon was not witness to his girlfriend's reaction to having gotten an offer so quickly. Her first impulse was, of course, to jump and fist pump in the air, before doing an elaborate imitation of Angus Young's guitar solo right there, in the middle of the street. Then… then came the other things. Like guilt. And worry. And fear.

She swept them under the carpet for later. At the moment, she focused on listening to Sarah-san's instructions. Kaleido Stage was an acting company from Cape Mary, USA, where they combined dance and elaborate magic tricks to create a show for the audience. Sarah had come to talent-scout for the boss, Kalos, but she couldn't stay for long in Oxford to interview Sora in person.

"You'll have to meet Kalos, of course, and come to an audition, but from what I saw that night, I'm more than certain you'll get the spot." Sarah's voice was bright and cheerful, all sunshine and fields of daffodils. Sora couldn't help but feel the soft caress of it, and thought that if everyone in Kaleido Stage as like her, she had just found her dream job.

But as soon as she hung up, the questions toppled over her like a tidal wave. She had gotten a job offer, but the audition was held on the other end of the globe. Where was she going to get the money to travel? Sarah had said she got it in the bag, but was that enough of a reason to call her parents? Sora made some rough calculations to determine whether or not the money she had earned as a model for Leon would be enough for plane tickets and board for a couple of nights.

Speaking of which, she had to tell him before she reconsidered and chickened out of it.

"I got a job!"

Leon paused with the brush halfway to the canvas and looked up at his girlfriend. Sora's hair was disheveled and her cheeks were flushed from excitement. For a split second he wondered how he could reproduce that color, and then her words caught up with his brain.

"What?" he blinked.

"I… I got a job…" she said breathlessly. Her chest heaved, and it became painfully obvious she had run. But he put that thought aside just as he put the easel aside and stood up.

"That soon?" Disbelief and wonder laced in his voice.

"Yeah. I got a call from Sarah Dupont of Kaleido Stage… they're inviting me over for an audition."

"Sora, that's amazing!" Leon exclaimed, grabbed her around the waist and gave her a twirl, before setting to the business of kissing her breathless. Neither seemed to register that they didn't know where Kaleido Stage was, or that Sora would have to travel. They kissed for a while, before moving to the couch in the living room, where they sat down to drink tea and talk. It wasn't until Sora gave him every detail of the conversation that it dawned on him. She had gotten a job. It was very likely that she would have to move.

He refused to dwell on it, and focused on being the loving, supporting boyfriend he was supposed to be and not some possessive jerk that couldn't stand the thought of his girlfriend separating herself from him for ten seconds.

Still, some of his inner turmoil must've shown on his face, because Sora decided to forgo telling him all about her new job in favor of asking him if he was alright.

Leon shook his head and tried to make up some feeble excuse. However, she didn't need more incentive, because the next thing he knew, he was being tackled on his back and his girlfriend commenced a round of what was lately her favorite past time – wrestling with him.

Naturally, the concept of wrestling with Leon was doomed from the start, given his height and build. Trying to bring him down (or, at least, in Sora's case), was like a little pup trying to take down a large oak by itself. At first he had preferred to let her have her fun and wait until she got tired, until he discovered just how fun it was to fight back. Like when she tried to tackle him, he wrapped his hands around her and flipped them over. Or like when she tried to put him in a headlock and he flipped her to her back. Or when, heaven help them, she wrapped her legs around his waist, and he got to do what was probably the initial purpose of the exercise.

Yeah… it had become pretty clear that wrestling was her way of initiating things, and God bless her for that.

At that particular moment, she tried tackling him down. Leon fell off the couch, conveniently taking the bigger hit, before turning so that Sora was on her back, her legs trapped between his and her hands pinned above her head. She was laughing hard even when he bent down to kiss her.

Only when he moved to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom, she turned and, with one dexterous flick of her leg managed to flip him over. Next thing he knew, her legs were wrapped around his neck and she had him immobilized. "Gotcha." She grinned. Leon raised an eyebrow, before considering their position and deciding that he liked it.

"Now that we got all this animosity out of the way…" she said "How about you tell me what's been eating you?"

Leon frowned. "Who says anything's eating me up?"

"Me. You looked like you got a knife in the gut back then." She loosened her hold on him and skidded back until she was straddling his waist and he could sit up. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Just slightly swarmed with finals coming up and stuff." He shrugged. "I'm sorry I can't appreciate your success like I ought to right now…"

"It's ok. It's not even certain I got the job. Sarah-san was optimistic, but I imagine she usually is…"

"No, no, that's a great thing for you. There aren't enough people who get to do something they love for a living."

"Yeah. We're two of the lucky ones." She said as she caressed his face "Well, if finals are all you're worried about, we can arrange for a distraction. The girls have been preparing to move out. They're telling me we should come over this Saturday and have goodbye dinner at their place, and I've been thinking we could go earlier and help them haul."

"That's your idea for fun?"

"It's a distraction. Of course, if you'd rather we do something else…"

"There's a million other things I'd rather do on a Saturday, but let's put that aside for a second." Leon let her laugh to her heart's content, before saying "What about May? Are the girls positive she won't make a scene?"

"Apparently, May moved out not too long after the little showdown we had the day your aunt came to see you." Sora said "Anna told me that after we fought, May started to argue with them more, trying to set them against you and me. The girls were having doubts to begin with, so when she made them pick sides, they decided to go with their guts."

"I can imagine the scandal."

"Yeah. Anna wouldn't give me the details, but basically May accused them of betraying her when they got ready to come and see me, and when they returned, they found out she packed up her things and left. Apparently, she moved in with Ken."

Leon raised both brows. "Now that's a surprise. I didn't know they were that close."

"We weren't that much close either when you took me in." Sora reminded him.

"I beg to differ. We were working together for a long while, we'd known each other for even longer, you slapped me once and we stayed together in Paris."

"Which reminds me. I wanted to apologize."

"For what?"

"For slapping you." She touched his cheek and traced it with the tips of her fingers, before cupping it in her hand. Leon, however, looked indignant.

"Why the hell should you apologize for that? I barely even remember that." She'd bestowed so many caresses he'd completely forgotten about that single slap. She didn't hit all that strong anyway. "And anyway, I believe we already established that you're not making a saint of me. In spite of the current… state of affairs, May was your friend at the time, and I hurt her. Moreover, I hurt you. I think the slap was well deserved."

"Yes, but I usually don't fight my battles with fists. It was rash of me to act like I did."

"Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this than just guilt over one slap?" Leon cupped her cheek and lifted her face to go on a level with his "What's wrong, Sora?"

"I was just thinking about May…" she mumbled "We were friends once, too, weren't we? There were times when I could barely stand her, but we were still friends. And then, because of one lie she turned me out of the house, called me a traitor and jumped down my throat. She was acting on impulse because no matter what we say, we hurt her, and she felt betrayed. Maybe it wasn't justified…" she said when she saw him open his mouth to object "…but to her, it was. It made plenty of sense to her. As it made sense to me to be mad at you, even if I had no idea why you fought or why she broke up with you."

They were silent for a while as Leon considered what she had said, and finally said: "Sora, you do realize there's a difference. You both may have done things in blind anger - we all have – but when you came down from it, you were sorry. May held onto her petty anger and finally convinced herself she was right. She never apologized. She never tried to see things in another way. You did. You don't have to apologize."

"Please let me do it…"

"If you do it, I won't come with you to your friends' place to haul books and furniture."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun! Layla-san even promised to bring her boyfriend over."

"Well, that wins me over."

"Really? That was fast."

"It's a good deal." He shrugged "They spend so much time speculating about that guy I won't be the main attraction for once."

"Leon! You're not an animal!"

He grinned evilly. "Oh? I'm not?" he asked in an eerily calm voice.

"No. Not one bit."

"Oh, Sora…" he said in a mock sorry voice "You really shouldn't have said that."

* * *

Later, when they were blissfully naked and tired in bed, Sora remembered Sarah Dupont's instructions and told Leon she might have to go to Cape Mary around the end of the month for the auditions. She delivered the news in a casual tone, the type people use for setting up dentist appointments and making grocery lists, even though it hardly corresponded with her state of mind. In spite of the happiness she felt for having gotten an opportunity to start earning money on her own, she felt reluctant to leave and have him left behind.

She was in love. It was natural not to want to be separated. Even now, with three weeks until she had to take that trip, she felt dread about it all and fear about what would happen to their relationship. A fear which, she admitted, made her want to beg him to come with her and never let her go. What would become of their relationship, their easy intimacy, she wondered, when they were separated by thousands of miles of water and land? She'd heard enough horror stories about long distance relationships to be worried.

At the same time, the link that closed the vicious circle was that she would never, not in a thousand years, ask him to come with her. If she did, she would easily come off as the sort of clingy woman May was, and it was not something she was willing to put up with.

Leon listened to her explanation, before bending over the bed and searching for something underneath it. He pulled his laptop out and opened it on his knees, shifting slightly so that she could cuddle him without getting accidentally elbowed by his hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked, curious.

"Booking plane tickets." He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "I heard that it was nice there at this time of year."

Sora blinked slowly, trying to determine if he was serious or not. "Leon, you don't need to buy me a plane ticket, I could do that myself." She said, trying to sound sincere, even though she had already been wondering what kind of shock this trip would give to her credit card. Leon seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because he snorted contemptuously.

"I'll make you a deal – when you're rich and famous and considerably better off than me, I'll let you buy me a plane ticket, and I'll buy you one, and we'll go to some nice tropical island together." He said, kissing her nose. "Now, do you prefer isle or a window seat?"

* * *

**A/N - *singsong* I'm baaaaaaaack! Missed me?**

**I'm hap-hap-happy, relaxed, refreshed, and I'm enjoying my last holiday as a schoolgirl as much as I can. There's a lot I could talk about, but most of all - thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews you left, they made me smile until my face hurt when I returned. Unfortunately, and some of you guessed it, this story is coming to an end (whines), but I have another idea (cheers) which involves Sora and Leon, but also Layla and Yuri, for all their fans. I'll talk more when I write it, but I've also started working a little on the Angel/Demon story (La Derniere Nuit), which is in English, and is posted on the site. I'll start updating it as soon as this story is finished.**

**Optimistic, isn't it?**


	22. She Was Dead

**She Was Dead**

The Saturday moving party came and went, and just like Leon had predicted, Layla's mysterious boyfriend had proven to be the attraction of day, allowing for him and Sora to interact calmly without being the centre of attention. In fact, they were more likely to become witnesses to Layla's attempts to pry her boyfriend from Mia and Anna.

Yuri Killian was the epitome of a Prince Charming – over six feet tall, with a head full of blond hair and blue eyes, warm laughter and a captivating smile, he probably had a continent's worth of women begging for his attention, and yet had eyes only for Layla. Throughout the whole day, he barely left her side, helped haul boxes around with a big grin on his face, and didn't miss an opportunity to steal a kiss from his girlfriend, not caring if they had an audience or not. He also made pleasant conversation with everyone and managed to keep them entertained whenever they got tired. Even Leon couldn't be grumpy…

But that didn't mean the Frenchman was pleased. Even though he was glad for the male company (Dio wouldn't come until the late afternoon), he couldn't help feeling that Killian was way too smooth. Or perhaps he was jealous of Yuri's better social skills.

Whatever the reason, he tried staying more around Sora and actually reminded himself to kiss her more often, even though he wasn't so big on PDA. The girls found it hilarious. She thought it was endearing.

During one of the boys-free breaks, Sora took the opportunity to talk to Layla:

"Yuri-san is a nice man, isn't he?" she asked.

"Yes, he truly is." Layla nodded.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Sora hesitated briefly "Why did you never introduce him to us before? He's kind and accommodating – surely, you had no reason to worry about us disapproving of him."

Layla paused, considering her answer for a long while, before finally shrugging: "Yuri's an actor. He can be whomever he wants to be with whomever he pleases. I could say I was afraid Mia or Anna or May or you would snug him, but the truth is that he had yet to decide who he wanted to be with me – the real him or just another perfect role. I couldn't have him around you before that – you would've picked up on the ruse."

"Oh…" Sora paused, thinking about it. "Is that why you said you didn't like to broadcast your relationship?"

"No." Layla laughed "That had nothing to do with Yuri's character. He's amazing, especially in bed…" she wriggled her eyebrows suggestively "…but at the time May was still going out with Leon and, well, I didn't want to act like her and brag about my relationship as if it was an all-inclusive circus show."

"But you're not May." The redhead pointed out.

"What would the difference have been? You'd have thought I was, and I didn't want to come off as the type of woman that only defines herself through the men of her life." Layla wrinkled her brow with distaste, and Sora discovered with surprise that she was echoing her own thoughts from earlier.

It occurred to her that all women were alike in one aspect – their fear of appearing as anything less than they were.

"Half of my relationship with Yuri was about discovering the real him, the man beyond the pretense and facades. Some days I actually wondered if I wanted to see him uncovered, if I would like what I would find, kinda like with you and Leon…" the blonde went on "We aren't all that different in our relationships, Sora. Leon was just easier to discover than Yuri."

"I find that hard to believe." Sora shook her head as she watched the two men haul groceries from the store. "You wouldn't believe his reaction when I told him I had gotten an audition."

"You have an audition?" Layla asked, her face alight with joy "Congratulations! Where?"

"Kaleido Stage. Cape Mary. US." Sora said curtly, and watched Layla's face fall as the blonde realized the implication.

"Oh…" she trailed off "Well, it's a job, so congratulations anyway!"

"Thank you. I'm very excited. I can't wait to start, even though I still have to perform for the director and the cast." Sora said. "The talent scout said I had it in the bag, but… I don't want to raise my hopes."

"You mean you aren't sure you want to go." Layla cut her off "What did Leon say?"

"I was getting there. First he went quiet, as if he was almost displeased, then we…" Sora trailed off with a blush and a suggestive smile. Layla nodded her understanding. "Afterwards, when I told him I had to go to an audition in three weeks, he just got the laptop and booked us plane tickets and a hotel room. Said it was pretty there at this time of the year, as if we were going on a holiday."

"Oh…" her friend thought about it, and then shrugged "When you look at it that way, it is a holiday. His finals are nearly over and he's graduating. Many people offer themselves a present at this time of year – what's better than a little trip to America with your girlfriend? He's probably looking forward to a change of scenery."

"I know, I know…" Sora nodded "I think so too, and it's really awesome, because that way he'll be closer to me and I don't know, maybe I won't feel so nervous, but the thing is I don't… I mean, I'm not sure he… well, I've been wondering if we're not just stalling off the inevitable."

"The inevitable being…?"

"The break up. The end." It was a hard thing to say, but she needed to get it out "What would happen if I get the job? I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I'm sure that a long-distance relationship just won't do."

"Sora, why are you so eager to get to the end?" Layla asked "Is he still good to you?"

"Yes, of course he is. Now more than ever. And that's the thing – I'm afraid that after a few more weeks it'll be physically impossible for me to live without him." Sora bowed her head in shame. "I want to work. I want to be independent. But I just love him so, so very much. I can't imagine what I would do without him."

Layla stared at her, long and hard: "Yet you're certain you'll break up. There are other ways. For instance… haven't you thought about the fact that Leon is a painter – he doesn't need to stay rooted in one city. It'll be easier for him to pick up everything and come with you whenever you go instead of the other way around."

Sora shook her head: "I can't ask that of him."

"Why? Is his family in Oxford? Is he so sentimentally attached to the place that he can't leave it? Does he hate traveling?"

"No, but…"

"Nothing holds him here. He'll have to move sooner or later. Why not where you go?"

"That's not the thing. I know there is that possibility, but I can never ask that of him. And I'm afraid of hinting about it, because I don't want to come off as some clingy, selfish person…"

"Sora, you're being silly." Layla cut her off "Leon's been with you for months now, if he doesn't know you already…"

"Yes, but…."

"No buts." Layla said firmly "You need to realize that you're in a relationship. In a relationship both partners deserve to be a little selfish. You didn't give him much hell for going out of his way to protect you from Allan, correct? Well, he shouldn't mind coming with you to protect you of the perverted choreographers of America."

Sora mumbled her agreement, not realizing that the kitchen door was open and that their conversation was within the hearing range of everyone in the house.

* * *

The plane ride from Luton Airport to Cape Mary was excruciating. Twelve hours in the air, during which Leon had to cram his tall frame in the small chair and Sora had to endure the unpleasant stares of the flight attendants. Those that have been on a long plane ride are aware that there is often something that goes wrong – someone would get motion sickness, one or all of the children on the plane would start crying their eyes out, they'd hit turbulence and send the old grannies in a dead fright, and that time, it felt like all of these things went wrong. Sora sympathized with Leon when the crying broke out, but when passengers from left and right suddenly started praying in a loud voice and brandishing rosaries, she couldn't help but feel a little irritated. Not that she wasn't religious, but she didn't find comfort in those things and didn't see a reason to impose her opinion on others. Whenever they hit turbulence, she just grabbed Leon's hand and he held her, offering her the support she needed.

In spite of the discomforts of the flight, they managed to catch some shut eye before they hit the ground and had to deal with border control and baggage reclaim. By the time they were out in the sun, Leon had to drag her to the taxi, she was that tired. And she couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy when she looked at her boyfriend – he somehow had the uncanny ability to project respect and elegance even after a long voyage, while she probably looked like a rag doll. She didn't even complain when he, after completing the checking in all by himself, got the valet to carry their cases and carried her himself to the suite. She didn't notice the new places, the sights, the room. She barely managed to thank him when he laid her on the bed, before she passed out for a solid twelve hours.

Acclimating herself to the new time zone proved to be harder than she believed, especially after she fell asleep so soon after their arrival. Leon bore it well, spending the time she spent dozing off sketching the landscape from their view or reading the tourist guide. They only had a few hours on the next day to look around the city centre, before he had to accompany her to Kaleido Stage.

Sora had managed to contain her anxiety for the incoming audition to a minimum, concentrating on other things, like mentally picking up souvenirs for the girls and talking to Leon about possible pictures that could be drawn around the city, but as they neared the theatre, her nerves couldn't be contained anymore and she was almost vibrating with worry. Her poor boyfriend had to relinquish any attempts at distracting her in favor of assuring her that everything would be alright, and ended up getting more worried than her:

"Remember, it's just an audition. You got three more offers these last weeks, so if they don't take you here, nothing's definite." He said.

"Uh-huh." Sora said as she chewed her lips.

"We're here to relax, first and foremost. If they take you, it'll be a bonus."

"I guess…"

"And if they don't, it's their loss." Leon went on "They'll run out of business when all of their customers go to see you and they'll come back begging to you when you show them just how great you are."

"But I don't want to put anyone out of business." Sora tensed.

"Hypothetically speaking." He hurried to add "Point is that you're amazing and you're beautiful and you're going to owe that audition. I'm sure of it."

"You're not going to watch, are you?" she asked, looking terrified all of the sudden. Leon hesitated – he had somehow automatically assumed that he would be watching, but her reaction didn't seem favorable.

"If you don't want me to watch…"

"I'm sorry, I just feel so tense, I don't think I'll bear it if I screw up in front of you." She mumbled, guiltily.

"It's ok, I get it." he said, trying not to sound too defeated. They finished their walk to the theatre, a lovely Big Top in bright colors that, for a moment, captivated both of their imaginations. Then Leon kissed her for good luck and she smiled at him with assurance, before going inside.

* * *

To her surprise, there were no more than ten people waiting for the audition, and the cast gathered as an audience wasn't much larger. A pleasant woman with a light blonde hair and brown eyes introduced herself as Sarah Dupont and talked them through the order of the audition. She had a kind, welcoming manner, which made Sora feel less tense and more excited about doing something she liked to do. Looking at the small cast, she was more than certain everyone would get jobs, so she calmed down a little.

The first three performers, however, soon showed her that the competition was fierce. They weren't just good, they were exceptional technique-wise. Sora felt some of her old anxiety return, but she reminded herself that she too had a good technique and she had been invited, so she had some credit to her skills.

But as fate would have it, there was another hurdle she needed to jump. Her name was called and she stepped out onto the stage, bowed to the audience and launched into her routine. Not two bars into the song, she heard someone snort loudly. Another two bars and someone laughed. Her body tensed when she realized that it was the same voice, but didn't let it deter her. She didn't stop, didn't falter, kept her posture ramrod straight and her movements perfect. When she prepared to execute a series of spins, moving into a demi-plié in the fourth position, she managed to recognize the source of the sound.

The shabby clothes, the badly cut hair. Allan.

She didn't let herself falter, but cold fear swept over her. She knew, of course, the reason for the laughs and the snorts – he was there to spook her, make her lose her focus and fail. She'd seen it happen before, but never in her life had she had it directed straight towards her.

But she wouldn't give in. No matter how scared she was about her relationship with Leon, no matter how it terrified her to be parted from him, this was her dream and she wasn't about to give it up when she was that close. Pouring every last ounce of energy into herself, she sped up, executing thirty-six consecutive spins, before striking a graceful pose and leveling the coldest, Leon-patented gaze she had at Allan. The former choreographer visibly paled and recoiled, giving her an opportunity to continue with her routine undisturbed.

Afterwards, she sat on the side benches in a daze, watching the other six performers finish up. She felt as if she had just drank a glass of wine or something – her mind registered everything around her, but didn't analyze it, just stood there numbly. If anyone asked her what she thought of the routines, she wouldn't have managed to give a solid opinion neither on technique, nor on artistic performance.

She welcomed it. Her only coherent thought was blissful gratitude that Leon hadn't come with her, because he would have certainly made a scene with Allan, and she didn't need it.

However, when she rose to leave, she was approached by a girl who said the director Kalos and Ms. Dupont wanted a word with her. Curious, she followed the performer to a tastefully furnished office where the woman, Ms Sarah, sat with a handsome-looking man in his late thirties. They were both polite when she entered, but their faces were closed up and uncertain. She suddenly had the feeling she was in trouble.

* * *

**A/N - O-oh...**


	23. Crash! Boom! Bang!

**Oh. My. God! The second to last chapter! I am so terrified and excited at the same time! You guys are awesome! *huggles***

**Theme song: Crash! Boom! Bang! by Roxette**

* * *

**Crash! Boom! Bang!**

"Please take a seat, Sora." Ms Sarah said kindly, and the girl obliged. The man, Kalos, hadn't spoken at all, staring at her intently over the rims of his glasses.

Neither said a word, and she certainly wasn't rude enough to break the silence on her own, so she looked around the office, taking its aspect in. It was almost Spartan in its furnishing, holding the most basic of things – a desk, a few chairs, shelves, but amongst the account books and pictures of former stars were scattered all sorts of things – sea shells, small souvenirs from the different states and Mexico, pictures that somehow all featured Ms Sarah and Kalos, which made Sora wonder if the two were romantically involved. Then she reminded herself it was none of her business.

Ms Sarah was looking at her, the accommodating smile still in place. "Before anything, Sora, I wanted to thank you for agreeing to come on such a short notice. I hope that your journey went well."

"Yes, I did." She said.

"I'm not trying to be pushy, but I need you to know that your performance was really impressive and that it was important for me to see you here today. I already spoke to Kalos and there isn't anything I'd like better than give you a place…"

"Thank you."

"But there is something that worries us and we cannot proceed without hearing your opinion about it." Sarah finished, the expression in her eyes serious and sober. Sora stared at her. Hadn't she said that she had the job in the bag? What had changed?

Sarah seemed like she herself had remembered that conversation and the promise, and looked terribly uncomfortable with what she was about to say, so Kalos cut in. His voice startled Sora – it was strong and firm, the voice of a man who knew his business:

"Earlier today, we got a letter just before the auditions. We'd written to all of the directors who had worked with the actors in the audition today…" he said "It is a common practice that gives us personal references for the performers without a conflict of interests. Your director was kind enough, but we also got a letter from a choreographer of yours, who'd been informed by a certain Madame Poirot of your offer and who…" Kalos glanced at the paper briefly "…who felt that it was his duty to warn us about you."

From there, Kalos read from the letter, listing the things written there. Apparently a certain Mr. Allan Meyers felt that she was untrustworthy, lazy, untalented, and had gotten her part through some dishonorable means. He also recounted the story of her boyfriend offering a large sponsorship to the theatre and that the said boyfriend had gotten him fired when he, Allan, had pointed Sora's obvious faults to the troupe director. By the time Kalos was done, Sora's face was red with anger and embarrassment, and she wished for nothing more than having the ground swallow her whole.

So, the rat hadn't been there to just spook her. He'd sent the owners that horrible letter and had wanted to see that she came off as an incompetent fool to verify its contents. Sora felt her eyes prickle with tears. To have him come and scare her was one thing, but to have him sully Leon like that… it was unforgivable! She wished Allan was there so that she could blacken his eye.

At the current moment, all three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence that nobody dared break.

"Sora…" Ms Sarah finally said "We would like you to give us some proof that this letter is false."

Her head snapped up and she stared at the two owners with wide eyes. "I don't understand…" Sora managed "You mean to say that you truly believe this is true? The very existence of this letter is a proof against its validity!"

Ms Sarah and Kalos exchanged a look, before she tried again:

"Understand, Sora, we must take everything into account…"

"Including such letters? It's obvious that it was written with a malicious intent."

"Before you say anything…" Kalos cut her off firmly "…bear in mind that we do not know you. Sarah saw you dance only once before. We cannot be expected to know every detail of your life, nor do we need to apologize for not having known it. If you cannot give us a satisfactory explanation of his letter then you're obvious not mature enough for Kaleido Stage."

Sora felt the sting of the words like a slap in the face, but steeled herself and gave the two owners a severe look:

"A satisfactory explanation, you say. I'd like to see you dealing with something like this in my place. I'll have you know that everything in this letter is false, and that its writer was among the audience of today's audition himself, attempting to sabotage my performance." She saw that Ms Sarah's eyes went alight with recognition, so she continued "It is true that Allan Meyers was a choreographer for the ballet workshop where I participated, but his testimony of my skill is not correct. You've seen me dance…" she looked at Sarah "…and you saw me dance again today. Your experience will show you that my technique is not the one of a sloppy performer, and all of the people working for the workshop would testify of my dedication."

Ms Sarah looked relieved, but Allan was still doubtful.

"And what reason might this Mr. Meyers have to sully your character to us?" he asked.

"Personal ones. He tried to get me to sleep with him on several occasions and overworked me when I refused, to the point where I almost couldn't stand." Her feet hurt at the mere memory of that training "I can have my dancing partner and my boyfriend testify to that."

"And this part about your boyfriend sponsoring the company?" Kalos asked "Is this true?"

Sora hesitated, feeling her cheeks redden, and realized that she was in a tight situation. Allan had recounted the event almost perfectly, but Leon's reasons for doing what he had done probably would not sit well with the two owners. Hesitating between telling the truth and denying it outright, Sora finally chose the former. It didn't matter how cleverly you lied – the truth came out eventually. That, at least, she had learned from May:

"It's partly true. Leon Oswald, my boyfriend, made a donation to the ballet workshop on the condition that they monitor more closely the complaints of sexual harassment. He was anxious when the results of Allan's training started taking their toll on me, and wanted to protect me." the reasons sounded lame to her ears, but even now, she couldn't find herself getting mad at Leon for what he had done. "Allan Meyers was fired after he was caught trying to force himself on me. That is a fact that can be confirmed by people whose objectivity cannot be disputed." She felt her voice shake, and added while she still could: "Please, you must believe me. I know people think all actresses are great at coming off as the innocent victims, but it's the truth."

Sarah and Kalos were silent. Sora could see their thoughts written all over their faces – they believed her story, it was much more real than the hate letter they had received anyway, but they condemned Leon for using his influence to help her, and probably condemned her for not being able to protect herself.

"Did you ever file a complaint when he forced himself on you?" Kalos asked.

"No. He never managed to hurt me." she said

"Why?"

"He told me he would give me a good review if I earned it on my knees. I told him to go to Hell and kneed him in the groin." She realized she was being intentionally crass, but didn't care. "Look, I realize you're unsure. I won't blame you if you don't take me." she was lying. She was going to be bitter and angry if she wasn't taken, especially since there was a good chance that such letters could've been sent to the other places that had offered her an audition and she didn't want to go through that again. "If you'll excuse me now, I think I need to go."

* * *

With a polite bow, she left the office, then the building, then the peer. She didn't look around, just let her feet carry her to the hotel. Her head throbbed. Her heart was clenching painfully.

She wanted Leon. She needed him, so very, very desperately.

But he wasn't in the room. There wasn't a note left for her, so she assumed he had just gone down to buy himself more pencils or something, and that he would be back soon. Still the sight of the empty room, with their suitcases perched beside the door, still unpacked, made her feel queasy, and she collapsed on the bed, feeling completely exhausted.

She reached out and hugged his pillow, inhaling the potent, strong scent of mint and snow and Leon that had stuck on it somehow, and felt her body shudder once, twice, thrice, almost as if she had just gotten down from an adrenaline rush and that the consequences were catching up with her.

Sora squeezed her eyes against the tears and choked the sob. She hated being weak, absolutely hated it. All her life, she had to work for what she had, proving herself. She knew that people thought that things were easier for her because she was in love, but the truth was that she and Leon had ended up making them work in spite of their love. How could anyone thing that being in love solved all your problems when she and Leon had encountered nothing but problems since they got together, and even before that. She could've hated him from what she was going through if she didn't love him so much.

She shook again and sobbed openly, her body coiling as if it wanted to wring itself dry from misery.

That was how Leon found her. He had gone out to get some more paper from a nearby bookstore and had missed her return by seconds. He'd been toying with the idea of surprising her with flowers in front of the theatre, but he had no idea when the bloody audition would end, let alone if the outcome would solicit a celebration. He would much rather have sat in the audience, discretion be damned, which was much more preferable to the nervous waiting, but he was supposed to be supportive, and supportive boyfriends did as they were told, which was what he would do… for the moment.

He had imagined many scenarios in which Sora came back happy, sad, or just plain annoyed, but he never expected to step out for a second and come back to find her curled into a ball and crying her eyes out harder than he had ever seen her before.

His first thought was that someone would die. Not just because it practically took beating Sora with sticks to make her cry – Leon, like many men, was helpless in front of tears and naturally wanted to punish the person who put him in this position.

But before he went off to get a shotgun, he had to get a name, so he went to her and gently pried her fingers off the pillow she'd been soaking up for God knows how long. "Sora…" he begged her anxiously "Sora, are you hurt? Who did this to you?"

"I'm fine." She said, and, surprisingly, she looked fine. Angry, but fine. Leon rocked her gently for a while, before she calmed down to tell him what had happened – the spooking, the letter, the argument – and managed to talk him down from going to Kalos and blacking his eye for even suggesting that Allan had been right about Sora.

"He was right, really, neither he nor Sarah-san were obliged to know the whole story beforehand." Sora said "I was just so angry though, I couldn't find another outlet for it. I'm sorry for having scared you."

Leon shook his head. "Never apologize. I'm here with you. I'll go with you no matter how deep you go."

She nodded and kissed him. "I think I blew my chances…" she said "I was perhaps too honest. And I'll probably have to go through it on every other place I go, because he probably contacted them as well. But they say the first time's the hardest, so…"

"If it comes down to it, you'll just change careers and become my model for life. You know, I saw some places I'd love to sketch you at…." He said as he stroked her hair. She surprised him by suddenly jumping up from the bed and saying:

"Let's go!" she said.

"Go where?"

"To those places you wanted to sketch me." she said as she rummaged her suitcase for a clean dress "Just let me change."

"Are you sure you want to go? You still haven't acclimated, and today's been tough…" he trailed off as he watched her toss off her overalls and the tight white leotard from underneath and stand in her bra and panties as she sought something to wear. Suddenly, her fatigue was the least of his worries. "We could stay in… recuperate…" he trailed off.

She turned her head and gave him a playful look over her shoulder. "Why, Leon, if I didn't know you better I would have thought you wanted to seduce me."

"Who, me?" he asked innocently "I think I seduced you ages ago."

She raised an eyebrow at his arrogance. "Really?" she asked "So you say that we don't need to seduce each other to get in bed together anymore?"

"I'll remain silent there." He said coyly.

"Really." She dropped the dress and walked up to him, giving him an opportunity to fully appraise her in her underwear, before standing on her tippy toes and kissing him enough to make his knees buckle. "Here's a suggestion, Leon…" she whispered against his lips "We'll go out now, you sketch me, we'll walk around a bit, and talk. And when we come back, if you're not too tired, we can try something I've been told gives amazing results."

"Or we could just skip to the last part." He suggested.

She pulled back with a laugh. "Ever heard of delayed gratification, Leon-san?" she asked, shimmied into the dress and raced him to the lobby.

* * *

**A/N - Epilogue coming up in the near and not-so-near future... oh, God, it hurts to say it.**


	24. Prélude à l Aprés midi d un faune

**The last theme song is by Debussy. I take this opportunity to say how pissed I am that this amazing composer was dessecrated by "Twilight". Everyone, go listen to "L'Isle Joyeuse" or "La Mer".

* * *

**

Prélude á L'Après-midi d'un faune

Much to Leon's surprise, he managed to last through the rest of the day without suddenly imploding from sexual frustration, which was always a good thing. A lot of that he owed to Sora's idea to take a stroll down the windy beach instead of stuffing themselves in some obscure café where they wouldn't have anything to do other than stare at each other. They took their shoes off and walked on the sandy shore. At one point, she tapped his shoulder and told him he was it, then took off into a run. Leon took a moment to watch her as she leapt down the wet sand and splashed in the salty water, before taking off after her. Although she wasn't trying too hard, it took him a minute before he got to her and knocked both of them down in the sand, where he proceeded to, what else, kiss the living daylights out of her.

As it was a particularly cloudy day and the beach wasn't very full, they were actually in a very real danger of him doing a lot more to her than just kissing. However, just as things had passed the sweet and innocent side and headed towards getting white-hot, a particularly large wave crashed into the shore, drenching them both with freezing, salty water. They stood in shock for a few moments, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

The upside to this strange shower was that it occurred shortly before the sun broke through the clouds, so the two of them could lie on the beach and wait for their clothes to dry up. For a while, they chatted, but their conversation slowly lulled, until they just lay there and stared at the sky.

Sora was lost in thought, or, rather, blissfully thoughtless as she stared at the sky and regained her breath. The exhilaration from the exercise had done its job – she was blissfully uninterested in her own future. What mattered at the moment were the clouds, the sea, the perfect day and Leon. Her head automatically turned as she thought of her boyfriend and she noticed that he too had tuned out. Slowly, she pushed herself up on her elbow and watched him. One of his arms was draped loosely around her waist, but the other one was absent-mindedly combing through the sand and brought out from time to time sea shells and little stones for his examination.

At some point, he felt her stare, and turned to look at her: "What is it?"

"You, lying on the sand and looking at these shells." She said cryptically. "Do you realize how very delectable you look right now?"

He looked down on his body and raised an eyebrow. "Decadent, you mean. It'll be a small wonder if they let us into the hotel with how we look right now."

"Decadent, but in a good way." She said "You know, you never entirely fit into the starving artist stereotype before. That was what I used to think, when I first met you."

"Not all artists are recognized posthumously, thanks be." He replied. "You probably thought I was just wasting time, didn't you?"

"A little."

"For how long?"

"When I didn't know you." She said "Then, after you saved me that Halloween, and then later, when I actually talked to you after you drew me, I began to see it."

"See what?"

"That look on your face, like the one you had right now. Dreamy, but also thoughtful. I don't know how to describe it. As if you were imagining something you really wanted."

"I was just looking at the shapes." He shrugged "Some of them might come in handy in a painting."

"See. That, that, that determination to make your dreams come to life. That's what I saw." She said, excited. "It's just like… like…"

"Like what you do with your dancing." Leon finished for her.

"Exactly!" she paused "Wow, did we just finish each other's sentences?"

Leon thought about it. "We did."

Sora laughed, trying to dissipate some of the tension she felt building up in her stomach: "Thank God the girls aren't here to see this, otherwise they would have made some crack about how the next step would be His-n-Hers tattoos."

Leon considered it: "We could do that."

She smirked: "If we have to make some obscene gesture to commemorate out bond, don't you think we should choose something we don't need to laser off later?" She had asked the question jokingly, but felt a pang in her chest when Leon gave her that Look.

The Look was a relatively new occurrence. Leon, of course, being a man of a few words, often communicated solely through body language and facial expressions, and thus had a wide array of looks to choose from. However, this one was new – pensive, evaluating, but also gentle and even a tad sad. It sometimes occurred right after Leon stopped in the middle of a sentence and lapsed into his own thoughts, but Sora had also seen it on certain non-related occasions. Like that time when she had been rummaging through the drier to find a leotard she had needed for the trip – he'd been standing at the door and suddenly, he had given her that Look. Or that one time when they lounged in the living room after a particularly tiring day, too lazy to even turn the TV on – she'd noticed it and called him on it, and he had immediately brushed it off with a comment about the weather.

She didn't know what to make of it. It probably had something to do with her, but Sora wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing. If she had to guess, she probably would have attributed it to the fact that he had probably never had a live-in-girlfriend before. It was a big step for her as well, she had to admit – sometimes the most silly, mundane things could send her into a state of shock, like their shoes in the hallway or their clothes, mixed up on the wash-line. They were something you didn't often notice, but when you did, they slapped your face like cold water. She sometimes had a hard time believing it was real, and wondering if she could really do it.

But those were rare, fleeting moments. Usually, Sora felt completely reassured in their relationship, mostly because Leon actually made an effort to make it work. Simple things, such as him cutting down the carbs and sugar from his diet so that she wouldn't be tempted to indulge, or accepting the empty tampon dispensers in the trash bin every month as something completely normal, made her feel less like his girlfriend and more like a permanent fixture in his life.

Which was why the idea that he may or may not be reconsidering that position made it all the more painful for her. She knew that, if he chose to put an end to it some day, she would be in considerable pain, but would accept it for his sake, pine a little and then get up and move on, somehow. But the closer they got, the more difficult it was for her to imagine that.

* * *

It didn't even occur to her that he was thinking about quite the opposite side of that equation.

For the last three weeks leading up to that trip, Leon had had plenty of time to consider, re-consider, evaluate, re-evaluate, and go through all the ups and downs and pluses and minuses of the idea. And then some. He had reached the conclusion that, should Sora get a job far away from him, he would simply move to the same town with her, but after he thoroughly discussed it with her. He didn't want to come off as a possessive jerk by merely assuming – there were entire new levels of humiliation hidden there, nor did he want to make her uncomfortable by asking straight out.

Now, if he married her, that problem would've been solved easily, but instead of making things easier for Leon, he found himself facing a billion possibilities. He didn't want to let her go, because the idea of some other guy being entitled to her smiles, her laughter, her love made him murderous, and another woman just wouldn't do. On the other hand, he didn't know if she wanted to get married so young. If she refused, would it be because she didn't see that sort of future for them together, or because she just thought it was too early?

And even after he convinced himself there was nothing to lose by asking her, there was still the question of the how? Oh, Leon had already found the Ring, that part had been easy enough. The delicate gold band was practical enough for her to wear it even at practice, but the ice blue diamond got the message across without a mistake. He'd been wearing it around his neck, under his and Sophie's christening medallions, ever since he'd bought it, not wanting to miss a chance to give it to her should the occasion arise. Which, as it turned out, was the best idea.

Leon briefly contemplated all the different ideas of asking her – taking her to a fancy dinner or a very high place to symbolize his desire to lay the world at her feet, arranging for a huge sign in the sky to announce his feelings to the said world, finding ingenious places to hide the ring for her to find so that he could spare himself the horrible moment of talking, spreading rose petals on a hotel bed… none of them were to his liking. For one thing, a public marriage proposal would embarrass her (and him) to no end, not to mention it would put her on the spot.

In the end, he chose to wait for the perfect moment.

And now, lying in the sand, with the sea lapping at their feet, it did feel like the perfect moment. The sun was shining in some strange angle, making Sora's vibrant hair look like it had caught fire as it blew in the wind, while her face glowed from the exercise. Her cheeks were flushed, her lashes were wet and she smelled of sea and sun and summer. She'd often thought of him as something not entirely human, but at that moment, it seemed to Leon like she was a creature from another world. If the prince from that fairy tale had woken up on time and seen the little Mermaid, he was sure that this would've been the vision that would have greeted him.

As if in a daze, he reached out to take her hand and gingerly kissed each finger, then the palm, than the other side of it. Then he moved up the arm, kissing the dip opposite the elbow, then her shoulder, neck, and finally mouth. He kissed up her jaw until he reached her ear and whispered: "Marry me."

He felt, rather than saw her body stiffen, and hoped that it was with pleasure. However, to his horror, when she leaned back to look at him, her eyes were wide and frightened. Leon didn't know what could've brought such a reaction on, but it did look like Sora was about to lose it anytime now, so he grabbed her hands and squeezed them.

"Sora, are you alright?" he asked, and then promptly kicked himself. _Of course she's not alright, you blundering oaf, she's going to start hyperventilating any time now._ He looked at her earnestly, hoping to decipher what was going on inside her head, but as usual, the workings of the female mind were lost to him. "Sora, please say something, please…" he pleaded.

"You… you want to break up?" she whispered in a small voice and her eyes filled with tears.

Leon blinked. Break up? What was that daft woman talking about? He'd just asked her to marry him, damn it! Had she misheard? No, he'd been clear enough.

And then his thoughts came to a screeching halt.

"No!" he exclaimed "No, no, Sora, I'm not trying to break up with you."

"But…" she mumbled, and it was apparent that she was struggling to keep her face on, because she tried really hard to keep the tears at bay.

"For God's sake!" He exclaimed as his hand came up to grab at the chain that hung around his neck "Sora, stop thinking about the past!" though it was his own fault for telling her "This is different."

She couldn't speak. She was afraid that if she would, she'd go into hysterics. So she listened to him.

"I know that marriage won't solve our problems. Hell, I'm sure it'll make new ones arise. But damn it, Sora, I can't do this anymore. Waking up every day and wondering if I'd be strong enough to deal with it, knowing that you're out there dealing with bastards like Allan or jealous harpies like May all on your own, if one day you wouldn't realize that you can't do this anymore and put an end to this simply because being with me does you more harm than good. I know this makes me sound like an insecure bastard, but damn it, that's what I am. I want to protect you. I want to be able to stand by your side, through good and through bad."

Her jaw dropped open. "Leon, that's…"

"I know, it's selfish and it's egocentric. Believe me, the last thing I want is to put you on the spot. I've never felt like this before – this intensity, this need, they're all foreign to me, and they frighten me just as much as they're probably frightening you right now. But I… I love you, I love you and I don't want to be parted from you, ever."

It struck him as odd, how hard it was to get himself to say those words, and then how easily they flew out. He realized with startling clarity that it was also the first time he had said these words out loud. Even if he had confessed his infatuation to himself, he had never confessed it to her, and that was probably why she was such a bloody mess now.

She was silent. Frighteningly silent. Her whole face had frozen up and he was afraid that she had been too shocked by his confession to move or speak. He wanted to shake her up, beg her to say something, anything, while terrified of what her answer would be.

"Please don't be afraid…" he begged, his voice no more than a whisper. "I'm sorry I startled you like that. We don't have to acknowledge it. I won't bring it up again, won't breathe a word about it. Just please don't be afraid."

"Oh, Leon…" she whispered and her eyes filled with tears again. Her hand raised and he was almost afraid she would slap him, but instead she just caressed his cheek and she brought his head up so that she could press her forehead to his. He touched her neck, her shoulder, her wrist, absent-mindedly, completely taken aback by the gentleness of her gestures. What did she mean by them? What?

"I love you…" Sora said, before ducking her head, cheeks flaming red as if she had just confessed a mortal sin.

"Sora…" he began to bend down to look at her in the eye, but she kept her gaze focused in her lap as her cheeks continued to burn with embarrassment.

"I'm not afraid, or mad for that matter." She said "You have… no idea how similar my feelings are. Ever since I got that offer I've been afraid of what would happen if I had to move away from you. I couldn't say anything because I was afraid of being petty and selfish and needy, but… but…" she hiccupped and the tears spilled "You have no idea how happy it makes me… to hear what you said… to, to… I'm sorry I'm being an idiot, I just…"

He curled his fingers under her chin and pushed it upwards, forcing her to look up at him, but Sora closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, her body practically shaking with embarrassment. Gently, he pried her hands away and kissed her cheeks and lashes until they were devoid of tears.

"Sora, open your eyes…" he asked gently.

"No." she shook her head stubbornly. "No, please don't look at me."

"How can I not look at you?" he scooted over and gathered her in his arms, then started to whisper in her ear "You're the most kind, gentle and patient person in the world, I'm actually afraid that you'll end up having gray hairs talking me out of the stupid, impulsive things I do. You have the most beautiful face in the world, and I wish you stopped worrying about your figure so much. I love you for all that, but I love you even more for your courage and integrity. You never back down when you feel an injustice has been made, and you're not afraid to slap a man twice your size if he hurt your friend." She laughed at that. "You always keep me guessing, and it's fascinating, but it's more fascinating when you reveal a bit of yourself to me and I see the real you, in all your beauty. I love you."

"And I love you." She sighed. It felt like such a relief to say it. "We're similar in many ways – people call you cold, but they've never seen you when you're defending someone you care for."

"I guess you're right about that." He smiled. "Won't you open your eyes now? I can't stand sitting here and not seeing them."

Slowly, she complied. Her gaze was shy, but devoid of fear. She smiled, and it looked almost hopeful. "Were you lying?"

"About?"

"About when you said you wouldn't bring that up…" She blushed "Because I… I want to answer…"

It took him half a second to realize what she was talking about. With a laugh, he pulled the chain from his shirt and held the ring out for her to see. "I shall be sorry if you didn't. Then this thing would go completely to waste." He looked around "I'm sorry there isn't a nice rock around here for you to sit on, but we could do it properly when we get home. Sora Naegino, we haven't known each other for long, but through slaps, animosity, reluctant friendship and then love, I think we covered a lot of the basis most couple need years to complete…" she laughed through tears. "I declare here and now that you're beautiful and perfect, body and soul, and if I have to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out what goes on in that head of yours, then so be it. Will you…"

"Hey there!" Somebody yelled from the pier just above them and Leon silently cursed a blue streak before both looked up. A young couple was looking down at them, their eyes wide and worried. No doubt they saw Leon hugging a lifeless looking woman and thought somebody had gotten hurt. "Are you alright?"

"Perfect! I'm proposing!" Leon hollered back, hoping that they would go away. Instead, their eyes went as wide as saucers, as if they had heard the word for the first time. He looked back at Sora, who was having a hard time restraining her laugher, and scoffed. "Oh, for the love of God, Sora, please marry me and don't make me have to repeat myself again?"

She broke out in giggles and finally managed through them: "Yes! Yes, I will!"

His face broke out in a huge grin as he took the ring off the chain and slipped it into her finger, then picked her up and twirled her in the air. They kissed, while their audience (which thanks to the interruption had augmented in less than a minute) applauded fiercely. They broke apart and looked up – Sora immediately buried her face in his chest to hide his embarrassment, while he smiled cockily up.

So that was how it felt like, to be on top of the world.

* * *

**A/N - *Plays "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith* **

**Damn it, I hate it when I have to put an end to a fic. Especially one where I love every chapter and every review. Alas, the time has come and I must head out to new horizons.**

**First of all, I would like to thank all of you who read this fic, as every piece of work should see the light of day at some point. And if this story made you happy, I'm happy as well.**

**Big thanks for those of you who reviewed as well. I love, love, loo~ve reviews, and I love, love, loo~ve them even more if someone tells me that my story made them smile, relax, or just plain feel good. I hope you all loved the ending, cloudstorm101, LadyArcana81 (even if it's cheesy), snowmiddy, completeandtotalrandomness, Eccthlacine, firevixen73, sweet-yuuki, Daedreamer, laylatania, KitsuneNaru, FreedomIsPirateKey, Layla Hamilton, Conrii, The Phoenix Feather, green14girl, Clow Angel (I appreciate it when people politely point out when I forget something), Lita Maxwell (a new reader always makes me gush with happiness), sora29leon, Coconut123, Sarah8 (you WILL write a story one day), animefreak, nioLast (I always appreciate it when someone goes out of their way to greet me in Bg), Alpha Kan't Spell (don't worry, you'll soon get better and change the pen name), Madame Yuko, and everyone else.**

**And yes, I am such a dork I'd go through the whole page to find your names. If I missed someone or misspelled a pen name, my sincere apologies.**

**Tsukiakage, I'm so glad you liked the story, and I'm so sorry that the other one failed through. I hope you're not mad with me. mew-tsubaki, I always appreciate your comments, even if they're not on the review page.**

**Special thanks to flare-hugs, KAYBOP1, midnight blue08, ikutoJS for reviewing every chapter and sticking with me, even when I was difficult and overworked and blocked. Writing this fic wouldn't have been half as good without your enthusiasm and support. You guys are amazing *MWAH***

**Big, huge, amazing "Thank You" with sprinkles and sugar on top to ILoveKuramaTooMuch and Royal blueKitsune, for being with me from the beginning, through sickness and health, enthusiastic bursts and author's block, depression and happiness. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see reviews of two+ paragraphs telling me what an amazing job I'm doing. Especially Royalbk, who bravely confronted her fear of thunderstorms with a chapter and who I hope will find her muse and write more Leon/Sora goodness. Kisses to you, guys.**

**Speaking of Leon/Sora goodness, you guys are probably wondering what I'm going to do next. Well, I plan on updating "La Dernière Nuit" tonight or tomorrow, and the new story (if it works out, as the last story I announced in an A/N got stuck for nearly a year) will come out, hopefully, on my birthday, if the muse doesn't get stubborn. **

**So, that's all for tonight, my loves. Thank you for being with me through this journey, and I hope I will see you for the next one. **

***Bows and Exits***


End file.
